


Ace of Spades

by h1yoko



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Canon, and friends, komaeda deserves happiness, non-graphic suicide attempt in chapter 1, overall a happy story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:21:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 60,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25514935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h1yoko/pseuds/h1yoko
Summary: “Don’t try to deny it,” Komaeda retorted harshly. “Maybe you don’t hate me as much as I thought, but everyone else on this island is disturbed by my presence.”“They’re worried,” Hinata conceded. “They never took the time to know you. They’re scared because they don’t understand what goes through your head.”“And you do?”
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito
Comments: 207
Kudos: 1161





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I kinda wrote this on a whim and would love to post the rest if there are others who enjoy it:) there is currently about 30k written, so it'll be a long-ish one if anyone wants to stick around for the ride.
> 
> As mentioned in the tags, there is a non-graphic suicide attempt in this chapter (stopped from jumping off of a high height). In addition, there is discussion of weight and struggles of not eating enough, though I wouldn't classify it as an eating disorder. If any of these things could be triggering for you, take your own health into consideration before deciding if you want to read.
> 
> Also: I haven't seen all of dr3. If anything here contradicts those events, please ignore it.

When Hinata first saw the eerie yet unmistakably human-shaped mesh of dark colors, he thought he was hallucinating, similar to seeing a pile of clothes in a dark room and your subconscious making it out to be a threat. He reassured himself that it couldn’t be a person. After all, there was absolutely no logical reason for someone to be out this late at night, let alone sitting on the edge of one of the island bridges. He squinted, too far away from the blurry figure to truly discern its identity, hoping that his vision would clear and hint to him that his eyes were playing a trick on him.

It wasn’t the first time Hinata snuck out to Jabberwock Park after everyone was asleep. He was well-adjusted to waiting for the last cottage light to flick out, waiting fifteen minutes for good measure, and then quietly exiting his own room to make his way to the middle island. Jabberwock Park was peaceful at night, and the perfect place to go when Hinata needed that peace after a stressful day. 

In the simulation, the park had been a source of anxiety, the ticking mechanism that looked terrifyingly close to a bomb counting down ever so slowly. Of course, Nobody knew that it was truly just a countdown to the end of the horrors that the New World Program had forced them to endure. But now, with the cloudy, starless night sky that allowed just enough light for Hinata to see without tripping over his own feet staring down at him, he felt a surge of relaxation from simply existing within the park’s embrace.

He wandered out there countless nights, and never once had someone come looking for him, nor had he encountered anyone before. Despite that, Hinata couldn’t shake the feeling that what he was seeing in the distance was a person, rather than a figment of his imagination.

He got up from the stump he was seated on and made his way out of the park. His muscles ached in protest, surely from having to get up so soon after sitting down to rest. Him and Souda had spent a good portion of the day raiding Electric avenue for anything that the engineer could find useful, and then he’d been on dish duty, leaving him exhausted at the end of it.

The bridge in question was the one that led to the fifth island, which was strange in and of itself. Nobody went there anymore, for the food vendor was abandoned and there was nothing else relevant on that island in the first place. Most of the more interesting attractions had been exclusive to the Neo World Program or the virus that corrupted it.

As Hinata neared the bridge, he confirmed that there was, indeed, someone sitting on the edge, their feet dangling above the water that was hundreds of feet below them. It may have been dark, but by the time he reached the beginning of the bridge, there was no mistaking the wild white hair striking in contrast with the surrounding darkness.

_But what was Komaeda doing?_

Hinata's immediate reaction was to assure himself of Komaeda’s outing being no different from his own, seeking peace and fresh air in the night hours, but something about the situation felt off. It wasn’t a feeling Hinata could describe in best terms, but it was one that festered in his stomach, gnawed at his insides, and encouraged him to step foot onto the bridge himself, to make sure that everything was okay. He’d learned to trust his gut instincts, and right now they were telling him that something was wrong.

It was Windy that night, and standing on the bridge, the wind whistled as it blew through the wood on the panels beneath his feet. It must have disguised his footsteps, because Komaeda didn’t appear to hear him approaching. He walked until he was about halfway across the bridge, standing just at the highest peak.

Komaeda stood up, still oblivious to his company, and placed one hand on the wooden pole beside him. He was looking down at the water, a sea of endless black this time of night. Looking beyond the bridge, or beneath the panels of wood he stood on, Hinata couldn’t even see the water, but he could hear it if he strained his ear to hear beyond the wind.

Hinata held his breath when noticing just how close Komaeda was to the edge, the front of his shoes dipping off the bridge ever so slightly. He leaned forward, and now Komaeda’s grip on the pole was the only thing that kept him upright, the only thing preventing him from tumbling off the edge of the bridge and into the treacherous ocean.

Hinata continued to close the distance between them, a level of panic building inside of him, and he knew he had been right to trust his intuition that told him to investigate. He wanted to call out, but found that his voice was caught in his throat. Perhaps it was for the better, for mistakenly startling Komaeda in this position would surely prove itself a grave mistake.

Instead he watched, feeling as if time was almost in slow motion, as Komaeda’s fingers slipped from the pole, one at a time, until there was nothing, and his body was beginning to sway in the direction of the sea.

At that, Hinata finally found his voice. He called out Komaeda's name.

His adrenaline pushed into action. He lunged forward, thanking every god that may or may not exist in the sky for his plethora of ultimate abilities that enhanced his athletics and reflexes. If it weren’t for those abilities, Hinata was pretty sure that he would have somehow ended up toppling off the bridge with Komaeda.

As soon as he felt his grip make purchase on the other, he yanked himself (and, ultimately, Komaeda as well), backwards. They both toppled over and fell back against the wooden bridge, Hinata’s back landing painfully and Komaeda falling beside him. Hinata was still clutching onto him, more specifically his right arm, the one that was real. He didn’t want to think about what would have happened if he had grabbed the other arm, if it had slipped off from the weight.

He didn’t want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t shown up when he did; if he hadn’t been so, to be quite frank, _lucky_.

Next to him, he heard Komaeda’s breathing, his quiet huffs barely audible against the roaring night winds. He wasn’t moving from his position, perhaps in shock. Hinata took the opportunity to push himself up to a sitting position.

“What the hell was that?” He spoke aloud when he felt his voice return. He was out of breath, his heart rate finally calming down from the rush of adrenaline

Komaeda was facing up, eyes wide, and he slowly trailed his gaze to Hinata when he spoke. As if coming out of a daze, he hesitantly got to his feet, wincing slightly from the pain of landing on the bridge moments before. Hinata jumped up immediately after, part of him afraid that Komaeda would suddenly try to throw himself off of the bridge again. He took a step closer to the other, who took a step back in return, clearly sensing his thoughts.

“Ah, Hinata-kun, good evening,” Komaeda said simply, clearly out of breath despite his attempt to hide it. Fury coursed through Hinata’s veins at the casual air to his tone. He spoke as if it wasn’t the middle of the night and he’d been caught about to jump off a bridge to his imminent death.

“Good Evening!? Komaeda-”

“I should be getting back to my cottage. You know, since plans have clearly changed.”

He began walking back in the direction of the center island, as if that was a sufficient explanation for what transpired. 

“What the heck? Come back!” He called after him. Komaeda continued to walk as he spoke, and Hinata was astounded that he could even hear him over the breeze. “You can’t just avoid me!” 

“Hmm… avoid? No, I would call this more of a circumvention.”

“That’s the same damn thing,” Hinata muttered to himself, before realizing that Komaeda was going to disappear from his view if he didn’t make an effort to catch up to him. He did as such, the two of them falling in stride before he continued. “Why would you…I-I mean, what was that?”

Komaeda glanced over at him, no surprise shown on his features at Hinata’s persistence. If anything, he looked a little irritated by it. Hinata knew it couldn’t be helped.

“Oh, c’mon, Hinata-kun, you don’t really need me to answer that for you.”

Hinata felt his own outrage surge at the dismissive tone in Komaeda’s voice. He opened his mouth to respond in what would have surely been a snippy manner, but tramped on his fury before it could bubble over the surface. There was an audible click of his teeth as he clamped his mouth shut, opting to chew on his lower lip earnestly. He didn't want to make the mistake of his anger getting the better of him.

Without Hinata to direct the conversation, silence fell over the two men, and they descended back to the first island. Komaeda was a few steps ahead, his eyes trained on his feet. Hinata walked slightly behind him while he gathered his thoughts, his brain running a mile a minute.

They arrived back at the motel in what only felt like a few minutes to Hinata, the gate screeching when it shut behind them, causing him to wince. Komaeda continued ahead, seemingly unphased.

 _Shit, what now_ , Hinata thought. He had only a few seconds to decide, because Komaeda was about to pass the first cottage from the center and head back to his own without hesitation, but Hinata wasn’t sure if he was comfortable letting the other out of his sight just yet.

He still had no answers, utterly baffled by the events that transpired. Sure, Komaeda was a little _(a lot)_ strange, and it wouldn’t be the first time he put himself in a life-threatening situation by any means, but all of that was supposed to be in the past. He’d woken up from the Neo World Program-induced coma and conquered the treacherous grasp of despair that threatened to put all of them back under its spell upon awakening. At this time, the world was starting to work towards a better future, leaving Komaeda's actions shrouded in mystery.

It was hard to get much of relevance of Komaeda at all recently, much less an understanding for whatever was going on in his head. He was the last one to wake up, though not by much (which was a miracle, to say the least, given his health and the trauma he must have faced when his avatar was killed). He opened his eyes no less than a week after Gundham. 

He’d been awake for just over a month, half of that time spent bed-ridden at the hospital on the third island while he regained his ability to walk properly. The situation was explained to him, and much like everyone else, memories of the Neo World Program returned in fragments once he gained an awareness of his surroundings. Once Hinata was assured that Komaeda wasn’t going to fall back into despair, he was released from the hospital and resided in his own cottage like the other students before him.

He never came to have meals with everyone else. Hinata would sometimes see him entering the restaurant after they had all left and returning outside minutes later with barely enough food for a man of his size. He’d quickly dash into his cottage and not come out until it was meal time again.

One time, Hinata thought to bring him a hot breakfast from the dining room on a day he finished early. It felt strange that Hanamura was cooking nice breakfasts, only for Komaeda to be the only one not enjoying them when they were fresh. On top of that, he wanted to try and reach out to the other, if only to selfishly subside his own anxiety. But when Komaeda opened the door, he looked almost offended by the tray of food Hinata carried. He sputtered about how he didn’t deserve it, how he would wait until everyone else had their fill, and tried to shut the door on Hinata’s face. Hinata pressed, and eventually Komaeda relented when he pointed out that it would be more of a pain to have to carry the cooling food back to the restaurant.

Their interactions beyond that were scarce, and any attempts to make small-talk turned into a very Komaeda-esque lecture that Hinata struggled to wrap his head around, eventually causing the conversation to dwindle. He was clearly avoiding everyone on the island, which was arguably worse than the times he used to be up in everyone's business unprecedented. .

If Komaeda was buzzing in their ear every second, at least they knew where he was. At least then they could predict if he was going to snap, or do something stupid.

Something stupid. Like suicide, apparently.

Making up his mind, Hinata suddenly reached forward and grasped the hood of Komaeda’s hoodie, effectively halting his steps before he could pass Hinata’s cabin.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said, and Komaeda looked over his shoulder. His eyes, much too dull for Hinata’s liking, bore into his own. He raised an eyebrow, and Hinata gulped. Crickets chirped relentlessly around them.

“Hinata-kun?” He asked lightly.

Hinata shook his head. “There’s no way I’m letting you off on your own after that. Come on.”

He intentionally kept his voice low, as to not wake up anyone else in the cottages surrounding them, before turning to fiddle with his key in the lock of his room. A glance behind him proved that Komaeda was looking at him with slightly widened eyes. He seemed to contemplate for a moment before sighing and following the other inside the unlocked door.

Hinata immediately turned on a lamp when they entered, and felt a wave of relief when he noted the somewhat orderly state of his cottage Then again, accidentally embarrassing himself in front of his guest was the last of his concerns.

“Sit anywhere, I don’t mind,” Hinata said, kicking off his shoes and pulling out the chair from his desk to sit. 

Komaeda looked around idly, taking in his surroundings, but ultimately stood just beyond the doorway. He looked a little frantic, his eyes darting around. He moved to wrap his arms around himself, and Hinata noticed that he was shaking. He was reminded how windy it was outside.

“You should take a shower,” Hinata offered, gesturing to the bathroom. “You must be freezing.”

“I have nothing to change into,” he replied without missing a beat. It almost seemed like he was trying to find something to disagree with.

Hinata countered, “I’ll lend you something."

“It’s enough that I’m intruding like this-”

“Shut up,” Hinata said, managing to keep the bite out of his tone. Komaeda pressed his lips into a thin line, effectively shutting himself up obediently. “I’m the one who invited you inside, remember? If anything, I’m the one intruding, metaphorically, because you didn’t even want to come in here.”

Hinata took the other’s silence as his opportunity. Upon standing up, he felt a wave of lightheadedness wash over him from the stress of the night, and he noticed just how bad of a headache he had, even worse than usual. His peaceful night outing had been cut short, which is what he usually used to cope with overwhelming levels of stress. Still, there was no reason to dwell on that anymore. He tried his best to ignore it as he pulled a pair of sweatpants and a loose-fitting shirt out of his drawer.

“Hinata-kun, I really don’t think-”

“Please stop arguing with me.' Hinata's voice inched into the realm of pleading. It didn’t go unnoticed by Komaeda, who stared for a moment before reluctantly nodding. Hinata sighed in relief, handing the bundle of clothes over to the other, who slowly shuffled over to the bathroom, as if Hinata was going to suddenly change his mind if he just took his time.

Even after Komaeda finally made it into the bathroom and clicked the door shut behind him, Hinata noticed that the shower didn’t turn on. He strained his ears and heard rustling. Perhaps Komaeda was looking for hair products?

Hinata gave it almost a minute, but the sound of the water never began. Maybe he was paranoid, but it made him worried.

Before he could give it another thought, he got up and crossed the room to knock on the door of the bathroom. 

“Komaeda, are you alright in there?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door swung open. Komaeda stood in the middle of the bathroom, not looking at Hinata even though he had surely opened the door. He was still fully clothed, thank goodness, and was gazing at a bottle in his hands. A quick glance over Komaeda’s shoulder showed that the medicine cabinet was open, exposing the rustling noises that Hinata heard moments prior. By the colors of the label on the bottle, Hinata could tell that they were painkillers. 

Instinctively, he reached forward and snatched the bottle right out of Komaeda’s hand. The latter simply looked at Hinata with his signature polite smile.

“For your headache,” he said as if it was obvious.

Hinata sputtered, not realizing how obvious his symptoms were. Then again, Komaeda tended to be more observant than the average person. He also felt a little stupid at his urgency to keep the other away from the bottle, especially since it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Did you really think that I was going to... in your bathroom?” He asked. “I’m not that inconsiderate, Hinata-kun.” His tone was light, too light for the topic that he was referencing. Hinata felt his grip tighten on the bottle in irritation.

“Well, no, but-”

He was cut off. “As nice as it is to stand here with you, I should probably take that shower.”

Hinata stared at Komaeda, trying to get a read off of him, but came up empty. They really, really needed to talk. It was unlikely that Hinata would be getting much sleep that night, not that he would be able to either way after the events he had witnessed.

“...Unless Hinata-kun wants to stay for some reason? It’s not that I mind, but wouldn’t it be quite cramped with the both of us?”

Hinata realized, suddenly, that he was still standing in the bathroom doorway. He threw out a “right, oops, sorry!” before stepping backwards with as much grace as he could muster and practically slamming the door behind him, ignoring the way that his face was progressively flushing red at Komaeda’s blunt words.

Hinata already took off his tie and normal attire for the day before going to Jabberwock Park, in favor of a pair of sweatpants. As such, he didn’t do much but lounge around on his bed and brainstorm conversation starters while he waited.

It was almost a half hour later when Komaeda finally emerged, a rush of steam from the shower dispersing in the cool air of Hinata's bedroom. He was dressed in the clothes that Hinata gave him. While the shirt was considered ‘loose’ on himself, it made Komaeda look as if he was practically drowning with the way it hung off of his frail figure. Everyone had been too skinny when waking up from the simulation, but Hinata knew that Komaeda in particular was far too underweight. It was another reason that he stressed over the boy not eating regular healthy meals like everyone else.

Komaeda looked around the room another time, as if contemplating whether to sit down or not, before tentatively pulling out the office chair that Hinata was sitting in before Komaeda’s shower. When he saw that Hinata didn’t protest, he dubiously sat down.

After a few moments of silence, where Hinata suddenly realized that all ideas he came up with to approach the conversation had flown out of his head since Komaeda had reappeared in the room. In the end, Komaeda was the one who spoke first.

“Coconut Strawberry,” he said simply.

Hinata sputtered, taken aback by the randomness. “H-huh, what?”

“Your shampoo,” Komaeda held up a strand of his own damp white hair, as if to demonstrate. “I smell like coconut now.”

Hinata didn’t usually pay attention to what products he ended up with when they got their shipments at rocketpunch market. He usually opted for whatever was left after the rest of his friends raided the stock.

“Oh, is that, er, a bad thing?” Hinata asked, not knowing how exactly to respond.

“I don’t suppose you’ll let me go back to my own cottage yet?” He replied in return, the tone of his voice implying that he very much knew the answer to that, but didn’t want to accept it.

Hinata, despite his confusion from the change of subject, composed himself and shook his head. “Komaeda, we need to talk about what I saw out there.”

Komaeda huffed, and Hinata could tell that he wasn’t going to easily cooperate. It’s not like he’d expect it from Komaeda in the first place, but the clock on his wall read that it was already after one a.m. At this point, he didn’t want to be up for more time than necessary.

 _Komaeda just tried to hurt himself_ , Hinata reminded himself. _Don’t consider this a burden. This isn’t the killing game anymore, he isn’t attempting to harm us. Prioritize his feelings._

With how strange Komaeda could be, on top of his behavior in the simulation, it was difficult to keep in mind that he’s human. It was so easy for everyone on the island to dismiss his antics, to chop him up to being “crazy” or “weird” without remembering that he actually had feelings just like everyone else. He knew that he, too, was guilty of that in some capacity.

“Are you really…” Hinata began, not sure how to word his thoughts. “That...unhappy? Are you really so unhappy that you wanted to die? Again?” 

Komaeda’s face immediately turned earnest. “No, not at all, Hinata-kun. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.”

The remark struck Hinata with an array of questions and little answers, but at least he got the other to talk. “Do you care to elaborate?”

Komaeda huffed , although this time it appeared as if he was getting ready to speak, as opposed to closing himself off.

“I’m so grateful, Hinata-kun,” he began, no longer meeting his eyes. His gaze was trained on his hair as he curled it around a finger. It was still drying, so Hinata hoped that he wasn’t cold.

“Grateful?”

“For everything that you and the others have done,” he clarified. “I was the last to wake up. Both my body and mind were far weaker than everyone else’s. You could have given up so easily, pulled the plug and let me die, but you didn’t.”

“Of course I didn’t,” Hinata said without room for hesitation. “You deserve to live just as much as the rest of us.”

Komaeda looked like he wanted to laugh at that, but clearly held himself back and just shook his head. “I thought that none of us deserved to live, you know. Least of all myself.”

Hinata caught the usage of the word ‘thought’. Past tense. “And now?” he prompted.

Komaeda looked like he expected it, and only took a moment before responding. “If given the opportunity to go back, I don’t know what I would do differently,” he paused. “But at the same time, all of you that woke up were able to overcome despair, and I can now see each of your hopes shining brighter than ever.”

Hinata tried to ignore the glassy look in Komaeda’s eyes when he said the last part. 

“But you overcame despair, too,” Hinata argued. “You haven’t even come close to a relapse.”

It was true. The Komaeda that woke up from the simulation was undeniably despair-free, and he showed no signs of violence or spiraling out of control. Some of the others had had fits after particularly vivid nightmares. Tsumiki, in particular, had it the worst. At one point, Hinata was even afraid that she was going to completely relapse before they were able to pull her out of it. If that happened, there was no going back. The Neo World Program was shut down due to the virus corruption and could no longer be used for healing trauma, so they’d be in some serious trouble if anyone was still under Junko’s effects. Luckily, that problem never came to fruition, but compared to some of the others, Komaeda was a miracle case with his lack of difficulty.

“I bring despair wherever I go, Hinata-kun,” was all Komaeda said.

It took Hinata a moment to realize what he could be referring to, but then he thought back to the stories Komaeda told him on the island.

“Are you talking about your luck?”

He hesitated, then nodded. “It destroyed not only my own life, but all of yours, as well.”

“You’re wrong,” Hinata spoke in a raised voice, then reminded himself that it was the middle of the damn night and he needed to keep his voice down. “You can’t blame everything on yourself,” He said at a lower volume.

“Ever since I was young, misfortune followed me with every step I took. Do you remember the things I told you?”

It was something that came to Hinata's mind every once in a while. Confirming that Komaeda’s stories about his dead parents and being kidnapped weren’t falsified, on top of whatever else he had possibly gone through was… alarming, to say the least. He knew that Komaeda didn’t lie about his illnesses. Brain scans and X-rays done while he was still comatose proved as much, although his conditions were more stable than they logically should be. Perhaps that was just his luck.

Komaeda continued on. “Hope’s Peak was so persistent that I enroll, even after I rejected their offer, but sometimes I wonder if things would have been different if I hadn’t succumbed to my selfish desires.”

“That’s ridiculo-”

“It isn’t,” Komaeda stated firmly, not even letting Hinata finish his rebuttal. “I should have known that the universe wouldn’t spare a symbol of hope as great as Hope’s Peak Academy when I was a student. But…that’s in the past now. No matter how much I drown in my own arrogant self-pity, it won't change anything.”

Hinata didn’t like the way it was delivered, but he agreed with the general sentiment. “Exactly, you can’t blame yourself for the end of the world. You can only move forward.”

“I can’t change the past,” Komaeda continued, as if not listening to Hinata at all. “But I can prevent the possibility of my luck causing another tragedy. Waking up to another shot at life, getting to be around you like this; it is far too good for the likes of someone like me.”

Hinata began to paint a picture with Komaeda’s words, a greater understanding filling him. He felt relief, but also a twinge of sadness for the other. Komaeda often spoke about his luck like it was his only positive attribute, but Hinata felt that it could only be described as a curse. Deep down, it seemed like Komaeda felt the same.

“You…” Hinata began, pondering his words carefully to avoid accidentally offending Komaeda in some obscure way. “You’re afraid that something will happen to me and the others...because of your luck cycle?”

“I know that something bad will happen to you because of my luck cycle.”

“But you don’t,” Hinata countered immediately, too frustrated to rationalize with himself what he already knew about Komaeda. Once Komaeda had his mind made up about something, nothing that anybody else said could get through to him. Talking to a Komaeda with his mind set was like talking to a brick wall.

“I do, Hinata-kun.”

So, Hinata would just have to tear down that brick wall.

“Have you forgotten that I have luck too?”

Komaeda paused for a moment, and Hinata saw an emotion that he couldn’t place flash in his eyes.

“What does that have to do with anything?” He finally asked, but he sounded less certain in himself than before.

An idea dawned upon Hinata, and he immediately jumped up from the bed. Komaeda was first alarmed at Hinata’s approach, but his features melded into confusion when he noticed that Hinata was rummaging through the desk drawers next to him.

After a moment, Hinata found what he was looking for and slammed his desk drawers up. He held up a deck of cards, brand new that he had found at the market. Komaeda raised an eyebrow, and Hinata almost found it in him to laugh. He threw the outer plastic layer in his trash can before removing the deck from the package and pulling out one card at random, placing the rest on the desk in a neat stack.

“What card am I holding?” Hinata asked, making sure that the card was obscured from Komaeda’s view.

Komaeda barely thought before responding. “Six of hearts?”

Hinata cracked a smile, flashing the card to Komaeda before sliding it into the middle of the deck. “Correct. Now you pick one.”

“What are you trying to accomplish with this?”

“Humor me.”

Komaeda grumbled, but evidently obliged, deciding to go along with it for the time being.

“Is it the Jack of Diamonds?” Hinata asked once the other had secured a card.

Komaeda nodded, throwing the card back onto the desk face-up to confirm it. “I still fail to see what this proves, though I guess it should be expected for someone like me not to understand.”

Hinata decided to ignore his self-deprecation for the moment, knowing they would be here all night without Hinata making his point if he accidentally shifted his focus.

“Well, for one, I proved that both of us still have our luck when we’re around each other. In the sense of games like this, it seems that our luck is equal. I’m not done yet, though.”

Komaeda pressed his lips into a tight line, a sign that he was listening to Hinata and would let him continue.

“Now lets both pick a card, and see who has the highest outcome.”

“What if we both pick aces?” Komaeda shot back, and Hinata had to admit that it was a likely outcome. 

“We could place a higher value on one of the suits, like Spades for example.”

"Which would mean that whoever picks the Ace of Spades is luckier,” Komaeda mused, his interest visibly piqued. "Interesting."

Hinata proceeded to spread the deck of cards across his desk. “We’ll pick at the same time, so that it’s completely fair. Are you ready?” the other nodded, and Hinata began to count down. “Okay. Three, Two, One-”

Both boys snatched a card from the display at the same moment. Hinata wasn’t sure what to expect, but he was testing a theory. It seemed likely to him that, since both of them had equal luck, it would be impossible for either of them to pull the card with the highest value. He wouldn't be surprised if the Ace of SPades somehow ‘mistakenly’ slipped from the deck and ended up under his bed.

In actuality, the outcome was quite the opposite.

“Aha!” Komaeda explained, holding up his card with a small smirk on his face. The way his lips quirked playfully, the mischief in his eyes; it was a look Hinata hadn’t seen on the other for quite some time, and he found himself in an almost trance as he savored the image of Komaeda not looking utterly lifeless for the first time since awakening.

He was so distracted that he almost didn’t notice Komaeda waving around the Ace of Spades.

“Guess my luck wins after all,” he said. 

Hinata flipped his own card over. It was the Ace of Spades. _Another_ Ace of Spades.

“I-what?”

“Did you mess with the deck?” Komaeda accused suspiciously.

“Absolutely not. You saw me open the deck, it was brand new!” Hinata exclaimed in return, looking at his and Komaeda’s matching cards with awe in his eyes. Komaeda didn’t immediately look convinced, but Hinata’s shocked expression must have appeared sincere, for his accusatory stance became one of confusion.

“So i guess our luck really is equal…” he said. He looked almost disappointed, but Hinata couldn’t blame him.

“Not exactly,” Hinata admitted, a curious gaze settling on him. He shoved the deck of cards back into his drawer before focusing his attention on the other again. “Your luck is natural. It’s wild, chaotic, and can’t be predicted. It brought you suffering your entire life, and to an extent, it brought you good things like fortune and freedom. But mine…”

He trailed off, and Komaeda finished for him. “It’s artificial.”

“Precisely. My luck was made to be an asset, so of course the people operating on me created it in a way that I wouldn’t face the same cycle of repercussions that you do. My luck is controlled.”

“But how does your luck have anything to do with me?”

“Tell me, Komaeda, have you had any random accidents since waking up?”

“No,” Komaeda said immediately. “It’s been too peaceful since I woke up.”

“And why do you think that is?”

Komaeda answered without difficulty, clearly having given this thought before. “Because the universe has something in store for me. Every time I’ve had moments of peace like this, my luck comes back ten times stronger. That’s why I had to end it myself, before my luck caught up to me.”

“But what if you’re wrong?” 

“I’ve never been able to live like a normal person,” Komaeda said. “There’s no reason for that to change now.”

“And yet it has,” Hinata said firmly. “There’s been a shift, and you noticed it. I think that…” He looked around the room passively, worried for how his next words would be taken. “Do you think it’s possible that my own luck has something to do with it?”

With those words, a flurry of different emotions flitted across Komaeda’s features. “That’s not possible.”

“It makes sense,” Hinata said. “If my theory is right, my luck provides somewhat of a stalemate to yours, and it may even protect you. In other words, I don’t think your bad luck will cause some freak accident while I’m around.”

“I still have my luck, though, we just proved that,” Komaeda argued, seemingly not wanting to believe what Hinata was saying. He wished that he could hear the other’s thoughts, understand how to get through to him, but Komaeda had always been a hard case to crack. He felt, somehow, that he could convince him with this, if only for the time being.

“I don’t think I’m wrong about this,” Hinata said. “I can’t act like I understand the phenomenon that is luck, but I am reasonably sure that your cycle is being repressed by my presence in some manner. That’s why you can’t give up yet. We need to continue reparations for our past and build the world back up together.” _What’s left of it_ , at least, he thought, but didn’t dare say out loud. “Despite what you think, you’re no help to the world if you’re dead.”

It was silent for a few seconds, and then-

“Why are you doing this?”

“What do you mean?”

The other let out a chuckle, and rubbed a hand down his face. Hinata could tell that he was trying to make it look natural, but the quiver in his lip betrayed him.

“You’re so kind, Hinata-kun, even to someone like me. You’re brimming with hope right now, but why? Why are you placing that hope in me, Hinata-kun?”

“You’re the one that needs hope, Komaeda. You can have a future if you allow yourself.”

He shook his head. “There is no future for someone like me. I have too many faults. My entire existence is a fault, but I am honored that you see something in me worth-” he suddenly winced at his own words. “-Ah, that is arrogant of me to say. It’s not that you saw some sort of potential in me, per say, but rather that you’re too kind to allow someone, even someone as pitiful as me, to die so terribly.”

Hinata growled in frustration, although did his best not to sound as such, lest he revoke a negative reaction from the other. “That’s not it, Komaeda. I didn’t help you out of pity. Nothing that I’ve done for you has been out of pity. Not waking you up, or giving you a place on the island, or saving your life.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Komaeda said lightly, clearly sensing the frustration that Hinata poorly tried to hide. “Are you trying to say that you...want me on the island?”

“I am,” Hinata stated without any waiver in his voice.

“Well, you’re the only one.”

“That’s not-”

“Don’t try to deny it,” Komaeda retorted harshly. “Maybe you don’t hate me as much as I thought, but everyone else on this island is disturbed by my presence.”

“They’re worried,” Hinata conceded. “They never took the time to know you, in the simulation. They’re scared because they don’t understand what goes through your head.”

“And you do?” Komaeda asked, like he was stupid.

“Well, I-er, not exactly, but I have a better idea than they do,” said Hinata ineloquently. “I’d like to understand you more, but that will take time. I think the others will come around and stop avoiding you so much. They’re just..."

“Scared that I’m plotting something?” Komaeda finished. Hinata notably winced, a tell-tale sign that he’d hit the nail on the head. “In a way, they weren’t wrong.”

What Komaeda said had roots of the truth. The others were as vocal as usual about their disdain to their fellow ex-classmate, especially before he’d woken up. Souda even made a comment about how it might be better to leave Komaeda in his comatose state, but he knew never to say anything like that again when Hinata shot him a deadly glare. He probably looked like Kamukura at that moment, but he hadn’t cared. He would never have forgiven himself if he didn’t wake up every last student and give them each an equal chance at making things up to the world.

After Komaeda woke up, he could tell that his classmates were relieved that he kept to himself. Hinata knew that he was the only one who wanted the other to join them in the restaurant for meals. Sonia asked after him a few times, perhaps only out of politeness, but he appreciated nonetheless to know that there was one other person who would make an effort to be civil, even if she didn’t want to. She was probably just as concerned as the others that Komaeda was off on his own and planning a new malicious way to bring them despair. Hinata knew they enjoyed having Komaeda out of their hair, but it left the question of ‘just what is he doing’ up in the air.

“You weren’t planning to hurt them,” Hinata finally said, the last two words coming out as a hiss. “And although you aren’t their favorite person in the world-” Komaeda laughed at the understatement. “-None of them want you dead.”

“I’m not sure about that, Hinata-kun.”

Hinata sighed, ultimately deciding to try a different approach. “Well, even if they all do want you dead, I don’t, so don’t go dying on me or I’ll be very upset.”

Hinata wondered if he was starting to get through to him. It appeared as such, but with Komaeda it was hard to know for sure. You could think that you were starting to get somewhere, but then one sentence from the white haired man's mouth could make you feel like you’d taken ten steps backwards. Either way, their conversation seemed to have some sort of effect on him. Hinata just hoped that it would make way for positive change.

Hinata noted the red tinge on Komaeda’s nose and cheeks and briefly wondered if the man was blushing. Maybe he was just cold again? His hair was fairly long, and still a little damp, so it wouldn’t be out of the question. The idea of a blushing Komaeda was not one that his mind wanted to entertain in the middle of a stressful night.

Eventually, Komaeda broke the silence.

“Hinata-kun, I should really be getting back to my own cottage," he said, and Hinata knew that their conversation was over. Luckily, none of it felt like a waste.

Despite everything that had happened since coming back to his room, Hinata felt put-off by the idea of allowing Komaeda off on his own. He didn’t think that the other was going to try anything again. At least, that’s what he could infer from what the two of them had talked about. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with letting him out of his sight.

“Can you stay here tonight?” He asked, and now it was his turn to turn red. _Nothing to be embarrassed about. This is to assure his safety._

Komaeda, to both Hinata’s relief and annoyance, didn’t seem to take the remark as anything promiscuous. “I don’t think that will be necessary. You have no reason to trust someone like me, but I’m telling the truth when I say that I won’t harm myself tonight.”

Hinata felt his blood go cold, his mind latching onto the word ‘tonight’, but he couldn’t dwell on that now. One day (or night) at a time. 

“I don’t care,” Hinata said, doing his best to appear confident as he stared Komaeda down. “Logically, I know that you’re telling the truth, but anxiety doesn’t have to be entirely rational...and...I don’t want to leave you alone after what happened. Even if you’re not going to attempt that again, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I left you alone at a time like this.”

Komaeda stiffened, and Hinata wondered what he said wrong. “It almost sounds like you care about me…” Ah, that “...but that’s presumptuous for me to even hope for-”

“I do care about you,” Hinata said without any hint of hesitance. Komaeda looked taken aback, his words faltering before he could spit out the rest of his sentence. “I mean...I care about everyone on this island.”

“Including me?”

“Shouldn’t that be obvious at this point?” He paused only briefly, his next words spurred on by the look in Komaeda’s eyes. He could already imagine the self-deprecation that was about to leave his mouth. “And don’t tell me you don’t deserve it. It’s two a.m. and I don’t feel like having another conversation with you right now.”

Komaeda’s mouth, which had been open, likely to say something along the lines of what Hinata had been imagining, pressed his lips together and seemed to take a moment to think before settling with, “I’m honored that someone as hopeful as you would care about me, Hinata-kun.”

Well, it could have been worded worse.

“You’re smiling, Hinata-kun.”

Komaeda was looking at him in confusion, his eyebrows furrowed and there was an almost-pout playing on his lips. He could still make out redness where his face from when he’d been maybe-blushing before. Hinata’s sleep-deprived brain wanted to describe the image as cute, but that thought was too weird for him to handle. With a shake of his head, he willed the idea away and prayed that it would never return, if only for his own sanity.

“I’m just excited that I get to have a sleepover with my favorite lucky student,” he said sarcastically, moving back over to sit on the bed. He patted the area next to him as an invitation, and Komaeda looked at him in shock. “I know what you’re thinking, so don’t even say it. The bed is big enough for the both of us.”

Hinata didn’t wait for a reply. Against his better judgement, he reached out to Komaeda from where he was sitting and tugged on the other’s right arm, making sure to be gentle when his fingers wrapped around a pale, bony wrist. He’s was so fragile, it felt as if he could be torn if he wasn't handled carefully.

Komaeda allowed himself to be steered towards the bed, tripping ungracefully over his own feet along the way. Hinata was about to steady the fall, but Komaeda caught himself and gingerly down next to him. Now that they were both seated, it was a little bit awkward, but Hinata knew he had gotten himself into this on purpose. He could handle it.

“Er- I sleep on the window side,” Hinata said, moving over and pulling the blankets over himself. Komaeda, ever so slowly, picked up his side of the blanket and slid under, keeping his body as far from the window side as physically possible. He was turned away from Hinata, who frowned, internally hoping that Komaeda didn’t somehow fall off the bed.

He, admittedly, looked uncomfortable. If he was a normal person, Hinata would assume that Komaeda was worried about awkwardness or the possibility of being taken advantage of. But this was Komaeda, and he probably didn’t care one way or another about how awkward things could get. Hinata knew that he was surely spewing up some bullshit in his brain about how he _‘didn’t deserve to even be in Hinata-kun’s presence, let along sharing a bed with him.’_

“I can hear the gears turning,” Hinata decided to comment. Komaeda turned over to look at him. “Don’t think about it too much. I can’t have you sleeping on the floor and getting a cold, and I’m the one who insisted you stay over.”

Surprisingly, Komaeda visibly relaxed, even if only slightly. The tension from his shoulders was lessened, and he glanced over at Hinata warily. “Thank you, Hinata-kun.”

In lieu of words, Hinata flashed a smile that he hoped looked genuine despite his exhaustion. He wasn’t even sure how well Komaeda could see it in the dark, but he was too tired at that point to care. He turned over, facing away from the other boy, and easily succumbed to his drowsiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first published work, so if you'd like to see the rest of this story, please let me know in the comments to fuel my motivation. Even if you don't, thank you for taking the time to read.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, when I uploaded the first chapter of this fic, I did not expect such a positive response. I got so much kind and in-depth feedback, and I am so so SO thankful for anyone who took time out of their day to leave a kudos, comment, or even just ghost read this story.
> 
> As promised, here is the continuation:D 
> 
> fyi, please ignore the way my use of honorifics isn't consistent with pretty much anyone but Komaeda. I played sdr2 in english and rarely even watch anime, so I didn't want to royally fuck them up and ended up rarely using them at all

Hinata woke up to morning sunlight prodding at his eyelids. This would happen often, one of the downsides of sleeping on the side of the bed closest to the window. He opted to drag himself out of bed instead of turning over, feeling like it was close enough to the time he usually woke up anyways. He moved to rub sleep out of his eyes, but was startled when he felt a weight on his left arm, something dropping to the bed with a soft _thump_ as Hinata’s vision cleared.

Upon turning over, the events from the night before washed over him. _Oh right, Komaeda slept here._

The man was now directly in the middle of the bed, while Hinata was still on the far side by the wall. White hair spread across his face and the pillow he laid on. Some of his face was obstructed by said hair, but Hinata could still make out the peaceful expression it bared. It wasn't a look he was used to seeing on Komaeda, but he also never witnessed the other in a situation where he couldn't mask his emotions.

His right arm was stretched out loosely in front of him, elbow bent and his hand rested at Hinata’s side. Somehow, during the night, Komaeda moved from his spot on the far side of the bed and had been unconsciously gripping Hinata’s shirt, explaining the weight on his arm that he’d noticed earlier. Honestly, he was lucky Komaeda hadn’t somehow ended up on top of him during the night, with the way he appeared to move around while sleeping.

He vaguely wondered if Komaeda’s subconscious was pursuing human contact without his own knowledge, since he always seemed to push everyone away when he was awake. He tried to push the thought out of his mind quickly. He knew the other was lonely, and it made a pit form in his stomach when he realized that, even with another chance at life, one without the pressures of the world ending or a cruel killing game, Komaeda was still just as alone as he had been before.

Hinata shook his head, internally scolding himself. He knew that if Komaeda was truly alone, nobody would have been there to save him.

He glanced back over to the sleeping form, trying not to linger for too long. It made him feel like he was intruding on his privacy in some way. He thought again about how thin Komaeda looked. His collarbones were peeking out of the shirt Hinata had given to him, sharp and prominent against his porcelain skin, and even the blanket wrapped around him wasn’t enough to hide how skinny he was getting.

Hinata climbed over the side of his bed to avoid stirring Komaeda and put on a pair of slip-on shoes. As a quick thought, he scribbled on the back of a piece of scrap paper he found on his desk.

_‘Going to get breakfast for us both. If you wake up before I’m back, wait for me.’_

Hinata counted on the idea of Komaeda not waking until he got back. After all, he certainly looked like he could use the sleep, the dark circles under his eyes all-too telling. But on the chance that he woke up while Hinata was getting breakfast, he hoped that this message would be enough to keep him from running off. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but he knew that it was better than nothing.

The morning air was cool, the sun still on the other side of the hotel and unable to project its blaring heat onto him. Hinata was sure that the day would warm up when it got closer to noon, but it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as it was during the summer. These days, it would usually get hot enough to swim, but stay cool enough that he didn’t worry about the possibility of someone getting heat stroke and needing himself or Tsumiki.

Arriving at the restaurant, Hinata was relieved to see it relatively empty. A glance at the clock told him that it was 8 A.M., which meant that most of the island’s inhabitants were still fast asleep. Awake, though, were Sonia and Koizumi. The former was sitting down with a cup of tea and a book while the latter was standing on a chair and facing the wall. Hinata concluded that she was probably hanging up photos.

“It’s looking good there, Koizumi,” Hinata said as a way of greeting. He came up behind her, luckily not startling her, and peered at the photo that she’d just finished hanging. It was of Mioda and Kuzuryuu in the lobby. Mioda was holding drumsticks, her face frozen in a laugh while Kuzuryuu looked like his glare could kill. Had she been playing drums on his head?

“Oh, good morning. And thank you.”

Koizumi’s tone was curt and masked an underlying layer of irritation, but Hinata learned to not take it personally after getting to know the girl more. She seemed immersed in her work, not even sparing him a glance as she went back to adjusting the frame. It was one of at least a dozen pictures hung around the restaurant, all photos Koizumi took since they woke up.

“Good morning, Hinata,” Sonia said politely as she tore her eyes away from the book to look up at him. It was a comic book of some sort, judging by the bright colors and style of the cover, but he hadn’t even known that there were comic books at the library. “Will you be joining me for breakfast? I already ate, but I can keep you company while I drink my tea.”

“No thanks, Sonia. I actually have to-” he stopped short. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sonia, or was ashamed to be having breakfast with Komaeda, but he hadn’t thought of a way to explain the situation to his friends. “-send an email to Naegi,” he lied quickly. “I want to take care of it fast, so I’m just going to bring breakfast back to my room.”

“Alright,” Sonia said, believing him easily. Hinata felt a little guilty, but he knew he’d feel guiltier if he accidentally breached Komaeda’s privacy by saying too much. “I’ll put on some coffee for you while you’re getting your food.”

Hinata thanked her and pushed open the door to the kitchen. Hanamura was frying eggs at the stove, to Hinata’s surprise. He always prepared dinner, and would often prepare a late breakfast or lunch for whoever woke up later in the day, but it was rare to see him up so early.

There were dishes of prepared foods on the counter, so Hinata grabbed two plates and began picking stuff out. Unfortunately, he was unsure of what Komaeda would want for breakfast. He wondered if he should get him a bit of everything to be safe, but knew that it would cause a lot of food to be wasted. Komaeda wouldn’t eat much, and probably _couldn’t_ eat much from how accustomed his body was to his unhealthy habits.

Thinking back, Hinata realized that when Komaeda was eating, he usually saw him with carbs. It wasn’t healthy, but at least he had a basis. He decided that, on top of some toast, he would make Komaeda eat some of the sausages that were prepared.

“Oh, two plates?” Hanamura asked with interest. Hinata didn’t like the suggestive resonance of his voice, but he shouldn’t have expected anything else from the ultimate cook.

“What’s your point?”

“Are you bringing that to someone in the restaurant? Or perhaps,” he lowered his voice. “Someone spent the night in your room, after the two of you indulged in an erotic evening of passionate-”

Hinata cut him off, thinking he’d feel sick if he had to listen to another word. “You’re ridiculous. I just...wanted a lot of food today and didn’t know if it would fit on one plate.”

Hanamura whistled and flipped his egg. “Your lies only drag the sultry truth further into the light.”

“What truth,” Hinata spat, probably too defensively, but he didn’t want to hear what Hanamura was implying, especially with Komaeda being the one in his room. As if to prove a point, he dumped the contents of Komaeda’s plate onto his own and placed the spare back on the counter.

Hanamura only raised an eyebrow and chuckled knowingly, leaving Hinata vexed in return, but luckily the cook didn’t say anything else. Hinata finished grabbing some random foods, along with utensils, and returned to the main area of the restaurant.

Koizumi must have left while Hinata was in the kitchen, but Sonia was still sitting at the table with her tea and her book.

“There should be enough coffee by now,” she said, looking up at Hinata and focusing her gaze on his plate, where the food was overlapping. “You sure are hungry today.”

“Yea,” Hinata replied dumbly, not bothering to elaborate as he moved on to the coffee machine. He filled up his own mug of coffee before it occurred to him that Komaeda would probably want some of his own. In that moment, he realized just how often the man would be drinking coffee, to the point where almost every time Hinata could think of noticing him, he was with a mug. To his memory, Komaeda’s coffee was usually dark, but not black, so he poured in a small amount of cream and grabbed a couple of sugar packs in case he wanted them.

Maneuvering back to his room with a plate and two full mugs of coffee was a struggle, but he managed to made it without spilling anything on himself. To his luck, Sonia seemed too immersed in her book to pay him and his two mugs of coffee any notice on the way out, and he didn’t run into anyone else on the way back to his cottage.

“Good morning, Hinata-kun.”

Hinata almost flinched, but caught himself before anything had the chance to spill. Komaeda was sitting up in bed, cross-legged, on top of the covers. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, leading Hinata to the remarkable conclusion that Komaeda actually put time into taming that nest every morning, despite its usual unruly state.

When Hinata moved to place the food and coffee on his desk, he noticed that the note he’d left was still there, although in a different position than he remembered. He could notice faint crinkles from where it appeared to have been held.

Komaeda must have seen the note, and he stayed. It was a good sign, or so he hoped.

“I got you breakfast.”

“I know,” Komaeda replied, his eyes trailing to the mugs. “Is that coffee?”

“Yea, I got you a cup,” Hinata handed the mug over to him, ignoring the little jolts under his skin when their fingertips brushed. “I have some sugar here. I wasn’t sure if I should add any.”

Komaeda shook his head, but he was looking at the drink with fascination. “I just like cream, no sugar, but...how did you manage to get the right amount? I would’ve expected you to add too much.”

Hinata rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He didn’t want to tell Komaeda that he’d subconsciously noticed how he likes his coffee. That would sound weird, as if he’d been watching Komaeda or something like that. Even if it could be attributed to an obtained observationalist skill, which was probable, he still felt like explaining himself was too awkward.

“Lucky guess?” He supplied.

Komaeda accepted it easily enough and took a hesitant sip. Hinata could see him start to relax when the warm drink hit his lips. He wondered if it was the sense of routine that put him at ease, since Komaeda drank coffee every morning, or perhaps he was cold, but thought it would be too strange to get back underneath Hinata’s covers.

“I suppose you’re here to make sure I eat?” Komaeda asked, looking over at the plate on Hinata’s desk. It was a little disorganized, with too much food on a considerably small plate, but fortunately still looked tasty.

“I’m here because this is my cottage." It was a clear avoidance of the question. He didn’t want Komaeda to feel smothered, but at the same time he was worried. It was a strange thing to admit when concerning Komaeda, but it’s not like he wanted the other to continue unhealthy habits.

“Forgive me, Hinata-kun, but you are the one who instructed I stay here,” Komaeda said, a small frown playing on his lips. “I’m sure you’d much rather have breakfast with the others, after all. I’m hardly pleasant company.”

Hinata groaned. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. Just eat some toast or something.” As if to demonstrate, he picked up a piece of toast and spread some jelly on it with a knife. “Hanamura makes the best jam I’ve ever had.”

He held out the toast to Komaeda, who hesitantly took it. “If I eat, will you let me leave on my own?”

Hinata swallowed, hoping that it didn’t look as nervous as he felt. He wasn’t sure how to breach the subject, but of course Komaeda would be the one to reference it so casually. Hinata knew he couldn’t just keep Komaeda at his side twenty-four seven, but he also knew that he would do what was needed in order to assure his safety.

Thinking back to their talk the night before, Hinata didn’t think Komaeda was in any immediate danger.

“Yea, of course, just make sure you have something with protein.”

Komaeda mumbled his disapproval under his breath, but reached forward to grab a piece of meat nonetheless. Hinata busied himself with eating whatever it seemed that Komaeda wouldn’t touch, which happened to be most of the options he brought. Even from the things he would eat, Komaeda only nibbled at it half of the time, but Hinata didn’t have it in him to push further. Maybe, if he could find a way to be around Komaeda consistently during meals, he could assure that the other was getting a proper portion, but forcing him to eat too much before he could handle it wasn’t the way to go.

They weren’t talking, but the task of having breakfast made it so that the silence wasn’t awkward, although it couldn’t be described as comfortable either. It was only a few minutes before Komaeda dropped the remnants of his toast back onto the plate, the crust and area around it uneaten, and moved to brush crumbs off his clothes. Hinata held back a comment about how he’d have to vacuum later.

“Thank you, Hinata-kun,” He said. “I’m going to head back to my own room now.”

He curled his fingers around his mug and made his way to the door. Hinata couldn’t help but notice, with the light from outside getting brighter, just how much better Komaeda looked that morning compared to usual. To the average person, he might not look much different, but Hinata’s brain was wired to pick up on details. He looked more alert. They’d only slept about seven hours, but the difference in energy from Komaeda was striking. Any questions about his sleeping habits in the past had been met with curt answers that left Hinata more confused than before he asked, but there was no denying to him now that Komaeda wasn’t usually sleeping well. 

“I’ll be around if you need something,” Hinata said just as the other was slipping out of the room. He knew offering was futile, and that he’d have to be the one to seek out Komaeda again if he wanted to speak with him. Despite that, he hoped that the bigger message behind it reached the other’s ears, if only a little.

A few moments after he heard the door click shut behind Komaeda, Hinata buried his face in his pillow out of frustration. He pulled back almost instantaneously when he realized that his pillow smelled different than usual. The smell from his shampoo was still there, undoubtedly because Komaeda used it the night before, but there was also a hint of pine and a smell that could only be described as hair. It wasn’t unpleasant, necessarily, especially since Komaeda had taken a shower before sleeping on his bed, but it was enough to make Hinata realize the surreality of the situation (again) and startle himself back to a standing position.

He wasn’t sure where he was supposed to go when concerning Komaeda, but he knew that stressing over the situation was going to do nothing but give him migraines. For the time being, Komaeda was in his own room, safe, and Hinata didn’t have anything to worry about. He had other things to do, and could revisit the situation at a time when it was more prominent.

He left to return the plate and silverware to the restaurant. A cool breeze brushed on his face when he swung open the door to his cottage, and a glance at the sky showed that the sun was just barely peeking out from behind the clouds. Komaeda was nowhere to be seen by this point, probably already back in his own cottage.

He only made it to the area where both cottage sides met when a voice called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. It was Sonia again. She had confusion muddled with concern in her gaze, and Hinata knew he would have to give her an explanation.

“You saw him, didn’t you?” He asked dejectedly. She nodded, biting her lip lightly. A part of Hinata hoped he’d been wrong, but if her expression wasn’t telling enough, the confirmation directly from Sonia was like the nail in the coffin.

“What you do or who you bring to your room shouldn’t be to my concern, but I must admit that I was... confused when I saw Komaeda coming out of your cottage.”

“I- that, really isn’t what it looks like,” Hinata said, hoping he didn’t sound too desperate.

“Oh no, I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you had impure intentions!” Sonia replied, a hand covering her mouth in shock. She was just a bit too loud for Hinata’s comfort. He had the urge to cover his own ears, as if it would stop anyone else around from hearing Sonia’s yelling. “But if it’s not like that as you say, I guess I’m a little concerned. Did something happen between you two?”

Fortunately, it seemed that the two of them were alone. Hinata wasn’t sure who in their own cottages could hear them, but he knew they'd have to go somewhere safer to ensure that there wasn’t any accidental eavesdropping.

“Walk with me?” He asked, gesturing with the plate still in his hands. “I need to take this stuff back to the restaurant.”

Fortunately, Sonia seemed to understand and the two of them began walking in stride, steering the two of them away from the cottages where anyone could listen in and they would be none the wiser.

Truthfully, Hinata wasn’t sure what he should tell Sonia, or even _could tell her_. To a point, he knew it would be dangerous to keep everything to himself. If something happened to Komaeda again, or he went missing, and Hinata was the only one who understood the severity of the situation, him being the only one who would have known to stop it...well, he could only imagine that he’d blame himself.

At the same time, sharing too much information could easily be a breach of privacy. Hinata assumed that Komaeda wouldn’t want the others knowing about what transpired the night before, but it was hard to know what the other would mind him sharing.

“I can see a dozen pink rabbits hopping vigorously in your head right now,” Sonia said suddenly, just as they reached the restaurant. Hinata hadn’t even realized that they’d already walked that far. He was too busy thinking.

“You- what?”

Sonia gasped. “Oh, is that not a saying in Japan? I thought it would make sense if I translated it roughly... I mean to say that I can tell you are thinking very hard about something. Do you care to talk about it?”

“That’s the thing,” Hinata said as they ascended the stairs. “I don’t know what I should share.”

“Am I right in assuming that something happened between you and Komaeda?”

Finally back to the restaurant, Hinata brought his dish into the kitchen and noticed that the area was empty. The dining room was, as well, although he knew that wouldn’t last long. It was still morning, meaning there were still people who hadn’t woken and gotten their breakfast. For now, though, it seemed safe to speak without the fear of being overheard.

“I guess you could say that,” Hinata finally replied, taking a seat at one of the tables. Sonia sat across from him. Her gaze was determined, and kind, and Hinata was washed over with a wave of affection for his friend, realizing that she was really there to listen. The thought calmed him down slightly.

“Is he alright?” she asked.

“I mean, do you even care if he’s alright?”

Sonia immediately looked offended. “Of course I do!” She exclaimed before pausing to compose herself. She smoothed a hand down her dress as an excuse to cast her glance downwards. “I mean- it’s not as if I particularly like him. After all, he did a lot of things that I can’t forget... but I can’t say that I hate him, either, and I definitely don’t wish harm upon him.”

She looked back up to meet Hinata’s gaze, and he could see her conflicting emotions. It made sense. Komaeda was always a thorn in their side, and nobody besides Hinata ever made an attempt to understand him. Even with the effort he put in, there was still so much he was yet to discern about the other. His behavior towards the end of his time in the simulation, while understandable now that they knew his real intentions, were still horrific, not to mention terrifying. Komaeda scared them all from the start, but Hinata and the others who outlived him had seen him at his lowest. 

The memories of the survivors were the most in-tact, the emotions that they felt in the killing game instilled into them more than any of the others. Yet despite that, Sonia didn’t seem to harbor ill feelings. He could see a mix of emotions present in her; fear, worry, confusion, resolution, but nothing akin to resentment. At least, not that Hinata could make out.

She didn’t even appear to be scared of Komaeda, but rather for him.

“Honestly, part of me thought you guys wished he never woke up,” Hinata admitted.

“Well,” Sonia started. “I can’t speak for anyone besides myself, but I think I’m glad that he’s here with us. It wouldn’t be fair if he was the only one exempt from another chance.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Hinata agreed.

“It does worry me that he’s been all alone,” Sonia continued. “I know he’s only been awake for a few weeks, but he’s even more unapproachable than before. The others thought that, with the way he’s always isolated…”

“That he was planning something?” Hinata finished. Sonia nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. “I can’t say I blame you guys, but there’s really nothing to worry about.” He added, before he could stop to think about his words, “Not when it comes to you, at least.”

“So he _was_ planning something?”

Hinata wanted to curse himself, but the words were already out and on display. It wasn’t an admittance of anything, but it was already more than he wanted to divulge, and Sonia could tell that it was more to it by his tone. Then again, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to shake her off without a reasonable explanation.

“I wouldn’t say it like that…”

Sonia’s eyebrows scrunched together, a finger on her lips in careful concentration. “He didn’t…” she trailed off, her frown deepening, clearly not liking the words that were going to leave her mouth. “He didn’t hurt himself, did he?”

The silence weighed in, and Hinata felt his ears turn red. “I-”

Apparently, his response was enough confirmation for Sonia. “You mustn't feel the need to give details,” she declared solemnly.

For lack of better articulation, Hinata simply murmured a “thanks,” and slumped back in his chair.

“I guess I’ll ask again if he’s alright?” She asked after only a few moments of quiet.

“Are any of us?” is all Hinata could think to respond with.

Sonia smiled wistfully. “I suppose that depends on what ‘alright’ means. All things considered, I think we are pretty fortunate to be where we are.”

“Yea, I guess you’re right,” Hinata said. He sat up straighter, leaned forward a bit and ran his hands through his hair in thought. “And I- I think I might’ve gotten through to him a little? I mean, it’s Komaeda we’re talking about, so reasoning with him was a little… challenging, but I think he listened to me.”

“That’s wonderful,” Sonia said. He glanced up through his hair to meet her eyes and was startled by the amount of sincerity in both her words and gaze. “Do you think you guys will continue to talk with each other?”

Hinata frowned. “I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought. I want to keep an eye out on him, but I don’t want to act like a nagging mother either.”

Sonia hummed thoughtfully and brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ears. It was different to see her without the perfectly kept braids when she never went a day without making pristine in the past. He wasn’t sure what prompted the change, but he thought it suited her.

“I think you’re approaching it the wrong way,” she said.

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “How so?”

“Don’t look out for him like a caretaker,” She said as if it was obvious. “Look out for him as a friend.”

“I...a friend?” Hinata repeated airily. _Was_ Komaeda his friend? They’d barely spoken since he woke up, save for the night before, and the time that they’d seen each other before waking up had been… rather unpleasant. Komaeda found out he was talentless, found out that they were all remnants of despair, and began to treat them as such. In the end, he wasn’t sure how much he could blame the man for the way he looked down upon them in the simulation. After all, he'd just discovered that the people he admired the most were the same people responsible for the world's destruction, the world’s _despair_ , which was the one thing that Komaeda claimed to hate more than anything else.

Hinata remembered right before the fourth trial began, when Komaeda approached him and seemed at war with himself, voicing that he couldn’t fathom why he still cared about Hinata, despite him being a reserve course student. At the time, it only served to confuse him, but that, in addition to the way Komaeda always spoke to him in particular, seemed to imply that the man had an attachment of some sort to Hinata, one that reached beyond his fanboyish admiration for the other ultimates. Hell, Hinata didn’t even consider himself an ultimate, and yet he’s the only one that Komaeda truly cared about beyond a surface-level admiration?

During his free time in the Neo World Program, they hung out a handful of times, and Hinata could admit that Komaeda wasn’t always horribly company. He talked a lot, too much at times, as if he was afraid of Hinata running off if he didn’t keep the conversation going. At other times, he would spew out random facts that made Hinata mildly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t by any means a terrible experience. Even if he mostly talked to Komaeda out of obligation, to try and understand him better to assure the safety of everyone on the island, he could admit to himself that he wouldn’t mind spending time like that with him again.

His mind wandered, settling on a created image of him and Komaeda in the library, Hinata working on one of his monthly reports to send to Naegi while the latter busied himself with a titleless adventure novel. He could so easily picture them together, simply existing in each other’s presence, perhaps comparing stories they’ve read and recommending ones to each other, or Hinata asking _“does this look alright before I send it”_ while Komaeda reads what he’s written over his shoulder. They could study together, expand on knowledge, because Hinata now had too much of it and no one to share it with. 

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that offering Komaeda genuine friendship was such an obvious thing to do.

“In a way, we’re all each other have. Wouldn’t it be better if we were all friends too?” Sonia added, breaking Hinata from his thoughts.

“You mean that?” asked Hinata, picking up on the implications of those words. “You too?”

“I think we all owe it to each other to get along,” she said. “In fact, I have the perfect idea! We should start inviting him to have his meals with the rest of us.”

Hinata snorted. “Yea, right, good luck convincing him of that. It was hard enough getting him to eat some food with just the two of us around.”

“You’re the one with luck here, not me,” she said bluntly, a glimmer in her eye.

“I’m gonna need more than luck when it comes to Komaeda,” Hinata replied with a sigh, not even bothering to argue about how he was supposed to be the person to convince him. Hinata knew as much as everyone else that he was the only one who seemed to make a difference in Komaeda’s cognition. Then again, he also knew that he was the only one who put in the effort.

“How about we start with my birthday party?” Sonia offered. When she saw the unrecognizing look on his face, she elaborated. “Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. It’s not a big deal, after all, but Mioda insisted we have a gathering for a princess’s birthday.”

Something about the way she said ‘princess’ was off-putting, a tinge of yearning in her voice, probably longing for her old life that had not only been abandoned, but thrown into the trenches and could never be looked back on. After all, Sonia’s Monarchy had been destroyed, partially at her own hands, and any people she knew from her home country were surely dead. Hinata decided to not touch on the subject that was surely sore for the former princess herself.

He instead asked, “It’s your birthday?”

“Tomorrow,” she clarified. “I don’t blame you for not knowing. Half the time, I don’t even know what day of the week it is on this island. Mioda overheard me talking about my birthday to Tanaka, though, and started planning the entire thing herself. It’s going to be at the beach by the diner, so that we can all eat and then go for a swim if it’s warm enough.”

Hinata assumed it would be warm enough. Despite it being October, the days could still get pretty hot when the sun wasn’t obstructed.

“And you want Komaeda to come?” questioned Hinata, a little incredulous. He decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring up what happened the last time Komaeda was invited to a party. Surely Sonia already thought about that.

“The more the merrier. If it goes well, I bet you could convince him to come hang out with us at dinner time.”

“Convince who?” a voice suddenly rang out from behind them. Both parties turned their heads to see that it was Owari. She had a plate of crepes and was eating them unceremoniously with her bare hands. Hinata was surprised that they hadn’t noticed her earlier, but it could be explained as they had picked the table farthest from the kitchen and entrance to have their discussion. Sonia waved in greeting, a gesture that went completely unnoticed as Owari ate an entire crepe in a single bite, whipped cream beginning to cake around her mouth.

“Sonia and I were just talking about her, er, party tomorrow,” Hinata said.

Sonia added, “We’re talking about how Hinata is going to invite Komaeda.” The way she said it left no room for argument, but Owari didn't seem to notice.

“Wha? F’real?” She swallowed and glared at Hinata with suspicion. “Did you put her up to this?”

Owati put a hand on her hip and faced the accused man, while Hinata himself rolled his eyes. “I’m the one being forced to invite him!”

“Huh? But why would Sonia want the freakazoid at her party? Don’t you guys remember what happened last ti-”

“That’s enough!” Sonia exclaimed, her arm out and per palm open, facing outwards. She had all the poise that could be expected from a former princess. “This is my birthday party, and I will invite everyone who I see fit, which just so happens to be everyone on this island.”

Owari popped a strawberry in her mouth before placing her hand on her chin in thought. “Hmmm…” she mumbled quietly. “I guess it would be unfair if everyone else was invited except for him...even if he is weird.”

“Precisely,” Sonia agreed.

Owari beamed. “Then it’s decided! Hajime will make sure that he comes!” She spoke boldly, as if the entire idea had been hers in the first place.

“I’ll make sure to let everyone know of his attendance,” Sonia said politely, but you could tell that she wasn’t looking forward to it. Hinata realized then that, honestly, he’d gotten the better end of the bargain.

“Well, he hasn’t agreed yet…” He said, trailing off.

“You act like Komaeda wouldn’t follow you around like a loyal guard dog if you wanted it,” Owari said, raising an eyebrow.

Hinata sputtered. “What? That’s not true at all.”

“I bet he’d bark if you asked nicely.”

“Shut up!”

He looked to Sonia for help, his face beginning to turn red, but she just chuckled. “I think you should get going, Hinata. The party starts tomorrow around one P.M. And don’t forget what I said about being a friend.”

“Yea, yea, I won’t,” He grumbled, getting up to leave before Owari could say something else that made him want to spontaneously combust. Apparently, though, she’d disappeared into the kitchen before he could even say goodbye. Weird shit she said aside, he had to admit he felt a little relieved that she conceded easily to the notion of Komaeda attending the party.

Maybe this whole thing wouldn’t go so poorly after all.

He didn’t bump into Komaeda until later that evening, when the sun was already setting on the other side of the island. Actually, Hinata was the one approached as he walked to his cabin after dinner. At first Hinata was confused, but then he saw the neatly folded clothes in Komaeda’s arms. He raised an eyebrow, stopping right before he opened his door after unlocking it, and watched as Komaeda held the clothes out to him.

“I washed them,” he said. Hinata had almost forgotten about the clothes he'd lent.

“Ah, thanks, Komaeda,” He pushed his own door open and slipped his key back into his pocket before taking the clothes from the other. “You’re sure on top of things.”

“I wouldn’t want Hinata-kun to think I was taking advantage of his hospitality by stealing.”

“I, er, wasn’t really thinking that?” Hinata said, but it sounded more like a question. He wished he didn’t always sound so dumb when he spoke to Komaeda. “I have other clothes, so it’s not like I missed them too much.”

“Are you requesting that I keep them?” Now Komaeda looked confused.

“What? No, no. I’m just saying...” he scratched the back of his head while holding his clothes with the other. “If you ever, y’know, needed a spare outfit, I don’t mind if you use my clothes.”

“Oh,” he replied quietly. _Nice going, Hinata. Weren’t you just thinking about how stupid you sound when talking to Komaeda? Why would he need extra clothes in the first place when he clearly has some of his own?_ “Well, I’ll certainly let you know in the future, but I can’t imagine why a situation would arise where I need to borrow from you like that again.”

Assuming he wouldn’t get a response, Komaeda turned around and was already heading back towards his own cabin. “Hey, wait!”

He twirled back around and stopped abruptly, swaying a little as he brought himself to a halt and looked at Hinata expectantly. “Does Hinata-kun need something?”

“Kinda?” he replied. “I wanted to invite you to Sonia’s birthday party. Well, actually, it was Sonia’s idea to invite you. She’s inviting everyone, and she wanted me to tell you personally.” _Stop rambling._

Unsurprisingly, Komaeda smiled that utterly stupid smile of his. It was the carefree one that Hinata had found comfort in when they first met on the island, for it was so welcoming when you didn’t know any details about the person who wore it.

“That’s kind of her, even if she only invited me out of politeness,” he began, his smile never wavering, despite the fact that it was obvious that a _but_ was coming. “But we both know that it’s better if I stay away from events like that. I’ll only ruin everyone’s fun.”

“No you won’t,” he grumbled, although he expected Komaeda to react like that. “Sonia will be disappointed if you don’t go. She really wanted all of us to be there.” When the other was silent, he added. “I want you to be there, too.”

“Ah, but I know Hinata-kun doesn’t mean-”

“Don’t accuse me of lying,” he replied sternly.

Komaeda promptly shut his mouth and looked down at his feet, which were balancing him as he rocked back and forth on his heels. He looked conflicted, worrying on his lower lip with his teeth, and Hinata could tell that about a million and one things were running through his head. He couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. He decided to settle on good, because it meant that, at the very least, Komaeda was considering the proposal and not continuing to outright refuse.

Eventually, after what felt like hours but was probably only a few seconds, he nodded tentatively. “When the party is plummeted into imminent disaster, at least you’ll know who to blame.”

Hinata knew that this was probably the best agreement he could’ve gotten Komaeda to make. “Yea, yea, whatever. I’ll come by your cabin between twelve and twelve-thirty tomorrow so that we can walk over.”

He stepped into his own cottage and shut the door behind him before the other could argue, which, by the look Hinata saw on his face, he was absolutely planning to do had he been given the chance.

The next morning, Hinata acted out his normal routine, only this time with the intention of leaving to attend Sonia’s party just after the start of afternoon. He showered after getting his breakfast and coffee, settling that he might have to shower again if he ended up swimming, but that he didn’t mind that thought enough to care. After staring into his closet for a minute with uncertainty, he settled on wearing a pair of swim trunks and a loose-fitting shirt that he didn’t mind getting wet and sandy. He wasn’t sure how formal he was supposed to dress, but assumed it wouldn’t be stupid of him to wear his swimsuit to a beach party. He was reminded, yet again, that Sonia is no longer a princess, therefore it probably didn’t matter if he was dressed down.

He glanced at himself in the mirror, taking in his only slightly disheveled appearance and deciding that he was going to need a haircut in order to fix that. He’d probably ask Koizumi to do it for him, even if he had to listen to her complain about how he should take better care of himself the entire time. His hair was still choppy from the last time he cut it on his own, and although ‘choppy’ was kind of his style, he knew that it looked better when it wasn’t done by his own hand. He noticed, but tried to ignore, the way that his hair now grew at almost twice the speed that it did before. Despite the fact that he’d cut it three times since waking up from the program, it was already long enough to obstruct his vision again.

The clock read that it was just after noon when he heard a knock on his door. At first he was sure it was Komaeda, and was glad to see the other initiating some contact (even if it was Hinata who told him they were walking together), but then slumped his shoulders when he saw that it was not Komaeda on the other side of the door, because of course he wouldn’t show up when Hinata had specifically said that he’d come to get him.

“Good afternoon, Souda.”

An arm was thrown around his shoulder, almost knocking the wind out of him. “Hey there, Hajime, thought we’d walk together.”

Hinata pulled back in time to see Souda flash him a toothy grin and thumbs up. He was, similarly to himself, wearing a pair of almost knee-length blue swim trunks and a plain white shirt. He still had his beanie on, and Hinata wondered if he would even take it off in order to swim.

“Why don’t you walk with Kuzuryuu or something?” Hinata asked. Souda’s smile faltered.

“We just haven’t hung out in a few days ‘s all!” He crossed his arms. “Plus, he’s off with Pekoyama right now, so I didn’t wanna bother ‘em.”

Hinata nodded in acknowledgement, inwardly knowing he would have to just rip off the bandaid.

“You can walk with me if you want, but I kinda already promised Komaeda, so…” He nonchalantly looked to the sky and avoided eye contact.

Even without said eye contact, he could tell that Souda went a little pale. “K-Komaeda? He’s coming?”

As expected, Souda wasn’t made aware that Komaeda was attending the party. Sonia said she would tell everyone, but not even the average person would want to deliver that kind of news to Souda, let alone Sonia herself. Granted, the mechanic was a little less...overbearing...in recent months (perhaps maturation since they woke up older), but Sonia didn’t tend to approach him alone unless it was absolutely necessary.

“He is, and you’re going to be civil about it.”

“You’re asking _me_ to be civil? What about him?” Souda asked, displeasure clear in his tone. Hinata could sense a storm coming, but hoped he was wrong. “The creep’s been holed up by himself ever since he left the hospital and now he suddenly wants to join us? When we’re all gathered together like this? Something’s not right about that, man.”

Hinata expected the suspicion, but that didn’t make it irritate him any less. 

“It was Sonia’s idea for him to come,” he said. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found himself saying those words a plethora of times throughout the day. “Actually, Komaeda was even reluctant to go at first.”

Souda opened his mouth to reply, but promptly let out not-so-manly scream when someone else spoke before he got the chance.

“Hello, Hinata-kun, Souda-kun.”

“Hey, Komaeda,” Hinata said while Souda placed a hand on his chest dramatically and caught his breath. “Uh...how much did you hear?” 

“Well, I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop or anything, but Souda-kun was awfully loud when vocalizing his disdain for me.”

Souda laughed lightly, as if he was scared for his life. “Yea, about that…”

“It’s fine,” Hinata sternly said. “Let’s just move on.”

“It’s to be expected, though,” Komaeda piped up. “If I was Souda-kun, I would also think that I’m up to something!”

“You’re not helping,” Hinata said impatiently. By now, Souda had stopped laughing to the thought of his own demise and was instead looking at the two of them with thinly-veiled fear and wariness.

“Well, uh, I guess I’ll just go ahead then. See you there, Hajime...”

Hinata waved goodbye to him, relieved to see him go rather than stick around and make things more awkward, but Souda was already near the motel gate and wasn’t looking back to see the gesture. He knew that could have gone worse, but it certainly could have gone better in the same regard.

“Sorry about that,” Hinata said once the mechanic was out of sight. “Are you ready? Do you have a swimsuit?”

Komaeda was wearing his usual pair of jeans and signature green jacket, which would be fine if it was chilly, but that wasn’t the case. Despite it being October, the weather was pushing eighty and Hinata couldn’t imagine that Komaeda was comfortable. Then again, it never seemed to bother him in the simulation, even when the days were hot enough to induce heat stroke.

“I think swimming would be a bad idea,” Komaeda said cheerfully. “If i was to have that much fun, I wouldn’t be surprised if a swarm of jellyfish attacked us.”

“Jellyfish, Komaeda, _what_?” Hinata asked, exasperated. He scrutinized the other. “Didn’t I tell you that you shouldn’t worry about your luck cycle?”

“Well that’s easy for you to say, Hinata-kun, but I’ve lived with my luck for as long as I can remember. Even if you think precautions are unnecessary, it doesn’t change that I’ve never been able to experience anything good in my life without notable repercussions.”

“Until now,” Hinata said. “And I’m gonna make sure it stays this way. You deserve some peace of mind.”

Komaeda looked off to the hotel entrance where Souda had left moments before. Hinata couldn’t tell if the other was taking in what he was trying to say.

“Maybe I’ll just stay behind. It’s clear that most of you don’t want me to go.”

“That was just Souda. You know how he is, and even if the others agree with him, I don’t care what they think. Sonia wanted everyone there and so that’s how it’s going to be.”

Komaeda hummed and continued staring off into space.Hinata couldn’t tell if the other wasn’t responding for lack of words or something else entirely. Fortunately, though, he appeared to have conceded.

“Alright, we should go now.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to put on something more appropriate? You look way too hot in those clothes.”

In reality, Komaeda _physically_ looked fine. He wasn’t even sweating, but just looking at him was making Hinata uncomfortable.

“As much as I’m flattered by you worrying-” Komaeda stopped and contemplated. “-no, _worrying_ isn’t it. That’s too presumptuous for me to assume. Showing concern, perhaps? No matter the wording, I think we should get going before we end up too late. Then again, perhaps showing up late would be bad luck? If that’s the case, maybe it would be better that we are late, so that the rest of the party doesn’t get ruined.”

 _I am worried about you_ , Hinata wanted to say, but he knew that Komaeda wouldn’t accept that. It would begin another debate where anything Hinata tried to say would be outright denied, and then they actually would end up late to Sonia’s party. The walk to the second island wasn’t too far, but Hinata wanted to get there a little early to make sure no one needed help setting up.

“Alright, fine, but take off your jacket if it gets any hotter today,” Hinata warned, beginning his way to the hotel exit.

“On the contrary, if I pass out from heat stroke, it would probably spare you all some trouble.”

“Yea, don’t do that,” Hinata deadpanned, pausing briefly as he held the door open for Komaeda, who just looked at him expectantly. Sighing, Hinata walked out the door first and watched as Komaeda followed behind him. “If something like that happens, it’ll be up to Tsumiki or myself to take care of you.”

“Ah, you’re right,” Komaeda said thoughtfully as they made their way to the bridge. “You two wouldn’t just leave me there to die, no matter how much it’s deserved.”

“Of course we wouldn’t, don’t say something so ridiculous.”

Silence fell between the two of them as they walked in stride, Komaeda just a hair behind him. He was surprised, but relieved, to have a moment of peace before the pandemonium that was ensured coming from a party held by the former classmates.

He spared a glance over his shoulder and saw that Komaeda seemed to be in his own head, explaining why he wasn't talking. He didn’t know what the other was thinking about (honestly, Hinata wondered if he would ever be able to understand the thought process of Komaeda Nagito), but he could tell that the man was caught up in whatever it was. So much so, he didn’t notice that Hinata was looking at him for at least a few seconds.

When he finally noticed, though, he jumped a little and flashed his habitual blithe smile. Hinata wondered if he could ever get to see Komaeda smile regularly from pure joy, rather than out of obligation or because of some morbid fantasy he conjured up in his head.

“Need something, Hinata-kun?”

“Not really,” he replied. “You’re just awfully quiet, is all.”

“Ah, my apologies. You invited me and I can’t even be a useful source for entertainment…”

Hinata sighed, slowing down slightly so that him and Komaeda were side by side. “I didn’t mean it like that. Walking in silence can be nice.”

Komaeda’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh,” he said simply. “Well, I’ll stay quiet for the entire rest of our walk.”

“Well, don’t do that for my sake,” Hinata said. “I mean, if you wanna be quiet, by all means go for it, but…”

He trailed off, hoping that the other got the sentiment. Either way, the two of them continued on their way. Komaeda didn't say anything else.

Hinata found himself greeted with a handful of waves and a hug from Sonia when he arrived at the diner. Komaeda trailed behind him when he entered through the door, hands in his pockets.

“Happy birthday,” Hinata said when her arms were unwound from around his neck. Her eyes twinkled when she beamed at him.

He watched as the birthday girl gave a polite wave to Komaeda, who smiled and also wished her a similar sentiment. Hinata noticed that she was wearing a wetsuit not all different from the one she’d worn during the program. He hoped he didn’t have to hear Souda complain about it, or even worse, have the opposite reaction.

“Are we the last ones here?” Komaeda asked, looking around the diner idly. Hinata did the same, and noticed that everyone else that was already there broke off into groups and were at their respective tables.

“Yea, what took you guys so long?” Piped up Owari from the booth nearest to the back. She was sitting with Nidai, Hanamura, Moida, and Tsumiki. “Sonia said we couldn’t eat until everyone got here,” she grumbled.

“No worries, though! Everyone has arrived,” the birthday girl cheered, clasping her hands together as she moved back to the table in the middle. She slid into the booth next to Tanaka, who was still wearing his purple scarf, despite the fact that Hinata could see a swim shirt underneath it. Across from the two of them were Koizumi, Saionji, and the Imposter.

The third (and last) booth, Hinata noted, was occupied by only Souda, Kuzuryuu, and Pekoyama. Logically, Hinata knew that the only way for Komaeda and himself to sit together was to sit with those three. The booths could comfortably fit six people, and both of the others already had five occupants, so it was the obvious choice.

Wordlessly, Hinata made the move to sit next to Souda, across from Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama, hoping that Komaeda would take the hint and follow suit.

“Hey Hajime, you know I love you and all, but…” Souda trailed off, eyes darting around a bit nervously, but Hinata picked up on the way they flickered past Komaeda too often to be coincidence. 

Taking the hint, Komaeda let out a small “ah” under his breath that Hinata wasn’t sure if the others noticed. "Perhaps I should sit at the counter?” he offered. Hinata didn’t miss the way that Souda’s eyes lit up, causing him to roll his own.

“I have no problem with his being here,” Pekoyama suddenly voiced, her monotone drawl a fitting match to her sharp red eyes that surveyed Komaeda with reservation. “As long as it doesn’t bother the young master, that is.”

She peered beside her at Kuzuryuu, who bit his lip as if he had to stop himself from saying something. “We should move past all that shit, right? He’s stuck with us whether we like it or not.”

It wasn’t the nicest way of putting it, but Hinata appreciated the effort nonetheless. Also, he knew that scathing remarks were more likely to resonate with Komaeda. The three of them sitting leered at Souda, who groaned outwardly and pulled at his beanie in surrender.

“Fine fine, whatever. I’m hungry.”

“Damn right!” Shouted Owari from the opposite side of the diner. Next to her, Nidai let out a belt of laughter.

“Let’s begin our meal then!” Sonia said from the middle table, her voice projecting easily. “I believe Hanamura prepared a variety of options for us.”

“He didn’t do anything weird to it this time, did he?” Accused Saionji, crossing her arms and looking scornfully at the covered dishes before her.

Hanamura shouted in offense, “Hey!”

Kuzuryuu said, “Nope, I watched him the whole time to make sure he wouldn’t try anything for the occasion.”

Saionji’s expression softened to satisfied relief. “Alright-ie, then! Feed me Mahiru-chan?”

Around them, the dishes were uncovered to reveal an array of different foods. There was some type of meat that looked like turkey, a salad with all kinds of vegetables and nuts, mashed potatoes, and crackers with some sort of spread that may be cheese or perhaps something fancier? Either way, Hinata’s stomach grumbled and he realized that he’d been too worried about getting Komaeda to the event that he hadn’t even noticed how hungry he was.

Halfway through piling up his own plate, he glanced over to see Komaeda contemplating the food, but not making a move to get any of his own. When he saw Hinata’s eyes on him, he sighed and begrudgingly grabbed a handful of crackers. Hinata bit back a comment about how he’d better eat more, half embarrassed by the other people around and half because he was really starting to feel like an annoying parent.

“So, are we supposed to go swimming after this?” Hinata asked conversationally.

“Yea, I think we hang out for a bit after eating before heading to the beach,” Kuzuryuu replied.

“It’s nice out today,” Hinata added. “I wonder what it’ll be like in winter.”

“Hopefully cool enough to have hot chocolate,” Pekoyama said, a small smile on her face. “I know that young master likes it, especially when there’s marshmallows.”

“That’s when we were kids...” Kuzuryuu mumbled, a blush forming across his cheeks. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but whatever it was was cut off by Mioda suddenly shouting.

“Woah, hey, are those rainclouds?” She jumped up from her seat in the booth, effectively startling Tsumiki and Hanamura, who were next to her. Hinata followed from where she was pointed, turning to look over his right shoulder and out the window.

There, where the sky had been completely clear the last Hinata had seen, were dark clouds swirling, coming from the direction of the middle island. They seemed to be rapidly approaching.

“It would appear that it’s going to rain,” the Imposter spoke up.

“No way!” Saionji cried. “Does this mean we can’t go swimming?”

“Hey, don’t say that yet, the clouds are way over there!” Owari yelled back. “They’ll probably die off or something before they get anywhere near us.”

“Yea, when’s the last time we even had a rain storm around here?”

But no one was able to answer that question. In the next second, a treacherously deafening crack sounded through the air, and at least a few people in the diner screamed (Hinata would like to believe that he was not one of those people, _thank you very much_ ).

It took everyone a moment to realize what was happening. The diner shook from the intensity of the thunder. Saionji huddled under the table, Koizumi shielding her own head. Tsumiki wailed and buried herself in Mioda’s skirt as if to hide herself. Hanamura looked at the two girls with envy.

After the rumbling subsided, the windows were suddenly painted with rain as it began to tumble down vigorously. Within seconds, it was difficult to even see outside anymore, but it was easy to tell that the sky was overwhelmingly gray, no longer the sunny “nice” day that Hinata was previously referencing. The room was eerily quiet, save for Tsumiki’s sobs and the sound of rain, nobody wanting to acknowledge how the party might be officially ruined.

“I-is it over?” Tsumiki stuttered. She hiccuped as she settled back into her booth.

As if to answer her question, a flash of light ignited outside, followed by another roar of thunder. This one, though, was not as bad, and was expected by most of them. Tsumiki and a few others still winced in surprise.

“ _Shit_ ,” proclaimed Kuzuryuu once the thunder settled yet again. It was becoming difficult to hear him over the pouring rain outside.

Saionji pouted. “Does this really mean we can't swim?”

The Imposter crossed their arms. “Swimming should be the least of our concerns right now.”

“He makes a valid point,” noted Pekoyama, cutting right to the chase. “I wouldn’t advise anyone to venture outside for the time being.”

“Huh? You mean we’re stuck here?” Owari asked, her eyes crossed in confusion.

Sonia proclaimed, “Don’t panic, everyone, we have plenty of food!”

“We won’t be stuck here that long,” The Imposter chirped up.

“That wind looks super strong!” Mioda suddenly exclaimed, pointing to where a tree near the parking lot looked as if it was about to topple over.

“What the hell is up with this?” Kuzuryuu growled. “How the hell did it start raining out of nowhere?”

“It is, indeed, as if we’ve been cursed by a treacherous entity,” Tanaka muttered.

Hinata tore his gaze from the mess outside and his eyes met Komaeda’s. The man was pulling at a strand of hair with one of his hands, the other tapping on the table incessantly. The crackers that he was nibbling on prior had been discarded in the middle of the table. Upon further inspection, Hinata could make out the slight grimace on his face, even in the dimmed atmosphere that followed the absence of most of their natural light. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, a worrying look in his eyes, almost as if he seemed...guilty?

_Oh._

“I should have just outright refused,” Komaeda murmured quietly that Hinata was probably the only one who heard him.

He wanted to assure Komaeda that he shouldn’t blame himself, that the rain wasn’t his fault nor anything that he could control, but he knew that he would never listen to reasoning like that. With the general knowledge Hinata had about Komaeda’s past, he clearly blamed himself for much more outlandish and devastating things than a storm during a birthday party. It wasn’t as if he completely understood it, but there was something about Komaeda (and now, himself), that drew the most unlikely outcomes to become reality. For all he knew, this storm might have never existed if Komaeda hadn’t decided to come along, but it wasn’t something he couldn't prove either way.

“Sooooo,” Souda said. “What now?”

“Hell if I know,” Owari responded. It appeared like everyone's appetites were gone.

“Oh no, my beautiful cake is still outside!” Hanamura announced, looking like he was mourning the loss of said cake.

“Why the hell would you keep a cake outside?”

“There’s a portable cooler out there,” Kuzuryuu explained to the confused Souda. “We thought it would be better to bring it in after everyone was already gathered.”

“We must retrieve it somehow!” Exclaimed Hanamura dramatically. “My beautiful, precious work of art!”

“Nobody should go outside,” The Imposter reiterated, glaring daggers at Hanamura.

“It’s a shame that we don’t have the cake, but I’m sure we can retrieve it later and have a wonderful desert!” Sonia said.

“Honestly, if it hasn’t already been destroyed, the cooler will surely blow over during this storm,” Koizumi remarked.

Sonia hummed in acknowledgement. “I guess it can’t be helped, then. That’s too bad.”

Souda was suddenly on his feet. “Nonsense, Miss Sonia! We can’t let a princess go without cake on her birthday!”

“What, you wanna go out there and get it yourself?” Koizumi snapped, causing Souda to cower back moderately.

“Well, uh-” thunder sounded again, and Souda pulled his beanie down to completely cover his eyes. “Yea, maybe that’s not the job for me?”

“It’s not the job for anyone until that storm calms down,” The Imposter scolded, frustrated that nobody seemed to be taking their warnings seriously.

Fuyuhiko spoke up. “It can’t be that bad, right? I already know where the cooler is, so I could be back in just a few seconds.”

“You don’t need to do that,” said Sonia. “It’s really alright.”

“Nah, it’s literally just to the side of the diner. I won't be more than ten seconds,” he insisted, already moving out from his booth, his mind made up. Not even another crack of thunder and the sound of something large falling outside ( _was that the tree Mioda saw?_ ) seemed to change his mind.

Pekoyama reached out and grabbed Kuzuryuu’s wrist before he could open the door. “Allow me, instead,” she said.

Kuzuryuu looked back at her, an undeniably soft look in his eyes. “Peko…”

“It’s too dangerous. Let me go.”

“It’s just some rain, nothing’s going to happen to me,” he reasoned, ignoring the fact that a tree had literally just toppled over due to the wind’s impact. “Come on, if I can handle the end of the fucking world, I can deal with a little rain.”

“Young master…”

“I told you to stop-” Kuzuryuu shut his eyes and took a breath, removing his arm from Pekoyama’s grip. “I told you to stop calling me that. We’re equals.”

“But young master…”

“Pity,” stated a voice from behind them.

Hinata knew that it was Komaeda before he even turned to look at the other, confused when he heard the faintest of chuckles pass his lips. Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu also turned to the speaker, both looking as confused as Hinata.

“Do you have something you want to share with the class?” Kuzuryuu asked irritably.

“Huh? Me?” Komaeda asked, a familiar mixture of arrogance and passive aggression seeping from his tone. Hinata suddenly had a bad feeling settling in his gut.

Kuzuryuu narrowed his eyes, visibly upset, which was not good. Although his temper improved drastically since they were students, he was still not one to challenge when in a bad mood, and he _especially_ wasn't one to challenge when it came to Peko.

“Yes, you, are you fucking daft?” He snapped back. The thunder outside boomed, and the lights inside the diner fluttered off. It didn’t cause much of a difference, though, for there was barely any light to begin with. They'd been relying on the natural light from outside. Although in a way, it further darkened the mood.

“I was just thinking about how tragic it is, you know?” Komaeda started. “How utterly despair inducing that despite Pekoyama-san sacrificing herself-"

“You shut the hell up! Don’t say another word!” Kuzuryuu cut off with a bark, whipping his entire body around to face Komaeda. “The fuck are you trying to say?”

“Well, those are two very contradicting things you’re asking of me. Do you want me to ‘ _shut the hell up_ ’, or explain ‘ _what the fuck i was trying to say’_?”

“Komaeda-” Hinata hissed, grabbing the other’s shoulder, but he yanked himself away with a refusal to meet Hinata’s eyes.

Kuzuryuu, on the other hand, was absolutely livid, his face a notable shade of red even without a substantial amount of light. Hinata knew this was escalating beyond his control, and he wasn’t sure what he could do about it.

“Young master, you need to calm down.”

“Yea, young master, why don’t you listen to what she has to say?”

“God, why don’t you know when to shut the fuck up?” Kuzuryuu growled. “I swear, another word and I’ll beat the ever living shit out of you.”

“Komaeda, please,” Hinata pleaded. “What’s gotten into you?”

Souda spoke up. “The hell do you mean, ‘ _gotten into him’_? He’s always been an asshole.”

Hinata glowered. “Not helpful, Souda.”

“No, it is helpful,” Komaeda said, that all-too-cheery voice sending a chill down Hinata’s spine. “It’s absolutely spectacular!”

“Yea, he’s still off his nut,” Hinata heard Saionji say from where she was seated.

“What is this really about?” He tried again, glaring at the back of Komaeda’s head. He knew the other could feel his gaze, even if he wasn’t making any indications of it.

Instead of a response, Komaeda quickly moved from his place in the booth to stand up. Kuzuryuu instinctively curled his fist, expecting a confrontation, but Komaeda held up both of his hands in front of him.

“I’m leaving. Don’t worry,” he said impassively. No one responded.

No one except for Hinata, who called out to him again, but Komaeda didn’t even glance back as he exited the diner. Rain flew in the door from just the few seconds it was open, covering the entrance in water and allowing them to hear the loud, roaring wind that was carrying on outside.

Moments later, after the door finally swung shut, thunder sounded yet again from outside. Worry struck Hinata like lightning.

Even after a full minute, he was reeling in from the shock of it all. One second everything was fine. He was feeling confident that everything would go well, and then the next moment… he knew that the downfall of events started with the rain; that was when the shift in Komaeda’s mood occurred, and it didn’t take Hinata’s ultimate detective skill to know the reason why, but there were still pieces missing, like the exact reasoning for picking a fight with Kuzuryuu. 

Hinata knew that he needed to speak with the other

As if sensing his intentions, Koizumi said, “Don’t you dare go after him, you’ll get soaked and probably sick, too.”

Before he could reply, another voice spoke up. “But is it really okay for Komaeda to be out on his own like that? He already looks sickly as it is…” It was Sonia, unsurprisingly.

“Idiot went out there all on his own,” Kuzuryuu pointed out. “Maybe he shouldn’t have said some fuckass shit and then run off.”

“B-but-” squeaked Tsumiki, who had moved from her booth to the counter and was now in hearing range from Hinata over the rain. “I-I don’t know if that's entirely his f-fault.”

“The hell do you mean?” Kuzuryuu asked, then took an obvious breath before speaking again when Mikan looked on the verge of tears. “I- I mean, Tsumiki, can you explain what you mean?”

“Well, I just mean to s-say that because of certain factors, he can’t always help but say things that others might deem...inappropriate?” She finished off her explanation sounding like she wasn’t sure, but Hinata knew exactly what she was talking about. After all, the two of them were the only ones who knew the details of Komaeda’s mental health.

“You trying to tell me that asshole doesn’t know that he’s being insensitive?” Souda asked, clearly trying to formulate this new information in a way that he could comprehend it.

“W-well…” Tsumiki said. “I think that it depends.”

“I really need to go after him,” Hinata said. He looked around the room and locked eyes with Sonia, who widened her eyes understandably.

“You don’t think…”

“I hope not,” Hinata replied, hoping that nobody else in the room would try to decode what it was that they were communicating. “But I need to go after him either way… as his friend.”

There was an uncomfortable shift in the room after he spoke. A smug smile graced Sonia’s face, but she was the only one who appeared content with the idea of Komaeda, the man who had tried to kill them, being Hinata’s friend. He couldn’t blame the others, but he was just happy that they (i.e. Souda, who was still contemplating the topic from earlier) weren’t outwardly throwing a fit over his confession.

“I mean, it does seem like the rain is lightening up,” Koizumi said, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Hinata realized she was right, and that although it was still raining, it wasn’t to the point where it drowned out almost all other noise, and he noticed that each time lightning struck, the thunder would sound farther and farther away.

He wondered if Komaeda’s departure had something to do with that, but rationalized that it’s not uncommon for storms to be brief.

“Are you sure you’re alright with me leaving?” Hinata asked. “It is still your birthday.”

Sonia smiled encouragingly. “I’d feel more at ease if none of us are alone.”

“Besides, it’s not much of a party anymore…” Kuzuryuu added dimly. “Sorry, Sonia.”

“It can still be fun!” Mioda interrupted enthusiastically. “I’ve got some card games that we can play together! And instead of going to the soggy beach, we can just hose each other down!”

“Hose each other down?” repeated Souda excitedly, a twinkle in his eyes as he covered his mouth with his open hand.

“See? It can still be a party, after all,” Sonia said, and Hinata thought that she had to be a goddamn saint to stay so positive in the given situation. “You should go on, Hinata, it’s already been a bit since he left.”

“You’re right,” Hinata complied. “Thank you so much.”

She nodded in reply, adjusting her attention to Mioda, who was presumably making her choose between an assortment of games. Kuzuryuu mumbled something about checking on the cake and slid out of the diner quietly. Hinata hoped someone else talked to him, because he felt like his hands were already full enough as it was.

Before Hinata took off, he glanced back around the diner and was relieved to see that the atmosphere was considerably lighter than before. Hinata knew that the bunch of them were no strangers to misfortune, and they all adapted well to living on the island together, but it was still interesting to see the way that they were able to brush off an unpleasant situation and move on when necessary.

He smiled to himself, a tad somber that he couldn’t stay behind to participate, but more anxious to talk to Komaeda. And with that thought pressing him forward, he stepped out into the afternoon drizzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I didn't do very much editing on this chapter at all, but I think I like it enough to not feel super insecure about it. 
> 
> Chapter 3 will be posted in either a.) 2 weeks or b.) when I have a significant amount of chapter 5 completed. Basically, whichever comes first, but expect to see it in the next 1-2 weeks:D
> 
> I'd love to hear thoughts on anything in the comments, but again, just reading this is enough for me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I'm a day late, and I am sorry. I was camping and didn't have wifi this weekend, so I had no way of editing until today. But on the up side, here is 10k words to make up for it:)
> 
> Also, let's just pretend like the real Jabberwock Island still had the amusement park bc i have no idea if that was exclusive to the nwp or not (since it was originally a resort).

When it came to Hinata’s luck, it was almost as if he could feel where it rested in his mind. Sometimes adrenaline would cause it to act on its own. He possessed a plethora of memories that were not quite his own but also not belonging to anyone else. In short, he knew that they had to belong to Kamukura. In these memories, his life was in peril and he would be miraculously spared by things that could only be tied to his luck. His most vivid recollection of this phenomenon was that of a burning building while whatever town he was in was being slowly annihilated around him. Just seconds before he was destined to be swallowed up, a wall behind him caved as if it were made of nothing more than dirt, and he was given an opportunity for escape.

Even after waking up, it was the same. One day at Electric Avenue with Souda, he was almost crushed by a monitor hanging from the wall. It was double his size and at least triple his weight. Somehow, the monitor managed to split perfectly in half for seemingly _no reason_ and both halves landed on either side of him. Souda tried to reason that the monitor was old and flimsy, but it wouldn’t even budge when Hinata tried to break off a piece. He knew that it was sheer, blind luck that kept him alive.

In all other times, when he wasn’t in dire need of a miraculous phenomenon, his luck was reserved simply for when he desired it. It was almost second nature, the little switch in the back of his head that told him _“ah, yes, this is the ‘lucky’ option.”_ He no longer noticed it, even if he could still feel it, nudging at the back of his head. 

His luck was controlled in a way that Komaeda surely had no experience with. Komaeda wouldn’t even know his luck existed if it wasn’t for the cycle of misfortune that followed him wherever he went.

That’s why, without even thinking twice about it, Hinata listened to his brain when it told him that Komaeda was on the fourth island. There was a familiar whirring nagging at the back of his head, a sign that his luck would lead the way. Logically, the fourth island made no sense. Why would Komaeda go there, rather than his cabin, or even somewhere with a greater meaning, like the factory on the fifth island? But at the same time, that made the pieces fit together, and made it seem like Komaeda went somewhere he didn’t think he would be found. He hoped that he was right in this assumption, but there was only one way for him to find out.

The rain was light enough that Hinata wouldn’t be drenched, but was enough to wet his hair. He wasn’t overly bothered because he planned on going swimming in the first place. Although, the fog that settled in the air put a damper on Hinata’s search. Usually, he could see the bridges clearly from the middle island, but when he descended towards the fourth island, he couldn’t see more than halfway across.

The island was, surprisingly, similar to that what was in the simulation. For that reason, he’d not gone there more than twice since waking up, for there was simply no reason to. Souda talked about possibly checking out the amusement park rides to see if he could get some of them safely working, but he hadn’t the time yet to do a full investigation. At first Hinata doubted that the mechanic would be able to salvage much, but he is the ultimate mechanic, after all, so it wasn’t impossible by any stretch.

Upon arriving on the other side of the bridge, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The massive park rides loomed over him, colorful and drenched from the storm. With the empty atmosphere in addition to the fog, the amusement park looked anything but ‘amusing’. Hinata thought that eerie was a better word to describe it. The whole place felt something out of a horror game, albeit edging more on the side of a cheap indie thriller made solely for jumpscares than an actual game of substance. Either way, Hinata was no stranger to horror, so the thought failed to even faze him.

He wondered where Komaeda would go on this island of all places, but a quick glance around from what he could see didn’t lead him to an answer. On top of the fog making it hard to see anything far away, the rides provided their own form of shelter that Hinata couldn’t see into. There were an array of areas that Komaeda could have gone, so where was he?

And just like that, the light flickered in the back of his head. _Merry-go-round._

He immediately took off in that direction, wincing when his shoes splashed through puddles and he felt frigid water soak into his socks. His sneakers made an awful squelching noise every time he planted one on the ground. He’d have to leave them out to dry later, lest they get moldy. In hindsight, wearing sneakers to a beach party wasn’t his best idea, but he’d planned to just walk barefoot when the time came to actually leave the diner.

When he was approaching the merry-go-round, he began to make out the indistinguishable outline of a person. The sight ran a chill down his spine, reminding him of what had transpired the last time he saw a figure like that in the distance, but he pushed those thoughts down and approached the figure, who was sitting in one of those tea-cup booths that were on any average merry-go-round.

He didn’t even lift his head when he spoke, so Hinata was left staring at his wet mop of white hair.

“Is this good or back luck, I wonder?” he murmured.

Hinata rolled his eyes even though the other couldn’t see it. “Well, I don’t know about you, but _my_ luck is what led me here.”

Komaeda shifted, not yet lifting his head to meet Hinata’s gaze, but shuffling his feet around absentmindedly. The sound of it contrasted the quiet around him, making Hinata realize that the rain finally came to a full stop. A light dripping sound was faint, presumably from water slipping off of wet surfaces, but could no longer could he hear a constant drizzle

“Perhaps if I really didn’t want to be found, I would’ve been lucky enough to be left alone,” Komaeda said quietly, almost as if it was only meant for himself.

“Does that mean you _did_ want me to find you?”

“Hm…” he began. “It’s pathetic, really, but a part of me wished that you would care enough to come find me. I was certain that it was a hopeless desire, and yet here you are.” He finally looked up to meet Hinata’s eyes, and Hinata noticed the damp hair was matted to his forehead, the strand in the middle that was longer than the others curling down the side of his nose.

“Yea, here I am,” Hinata repeated. “Mind if I sit?”

The question was taken as rhetorical, and Hinata took a seat across from Komaeda while the latter returned to looking at his lap. Not only was his hair wet, but his clothes were drenched much more than Hinata’s own, since he had left when the storm was in its peak. Luckily, it was warm out despite the lack of a clear sunny sky, but Komaeda could still get sick if he didn’t go home soon.

“I didn’t know that you were one to sulk alone like this,” Hinata said, his tone light, but in retrospect it probably wasn’t the best conversation starter.

“I don’t know why you would expect anything more from a lowly person like me. Self-pity is what I do best, after all.”

Hinata wondered if being direct was the better way to go about this. At the very least, he hoped it would prevent him from being forced to listen to Komaeda’s self-deprecating ramblings.

“Why did you say those things back at the diner?” 

Komaeda narrowed his eyes, but was clearly unsurprised by the change of subject. “Just so you’re aware, I have no intentions of apologizing. If you came here just to try and convince me to, you’ll end up disappointed.”

“Good thing that wasn’t my intention,” Hinata replied. “And I think you know that as well, so stop avoiding my question.”

“So demanding, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda finally looked up and rested his back against where he sat. Their eyes met, and Hinata could see that the other had his guard up. His expression gave off the air that he was largely indifferent, but Hinata knew that there had to be more to it.

“They’re playing board games now,” Hinata said. “The party wasn’t ruined or anything. In fact, they looked to be having a ton of fun when I left.”

Komaeda, evidently, hadn’t been expecting to hear that piece of news. His eyes widened a fraction, but he did his best not to betray his stoic stance.

“Then why are you here, instead of with them? Oh, I get it-” his voice suddenly shifted, became darker in nature. He leaned forward. “You were worried I was going to do something _dangerous_ , and you didn’t want to deal with the repercussions.”

“No, Komaeda, that’s really not-”

“To be honest, this is starting to get a little tiring,” he admitted, looking off to his side sadly. He clearly had no intention of letting Hinata finish what he had to say. “Isn’t it cruel to lead me on like this?”

“Lead you on?” Hinata echoed, astonished. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“It’s unbearable to be at the receiving end of your hospitality when you’re only treating me so kindly out of obligation,” he said, the bitterness in his voice evident. 

“That’s not what this is,” Hinata argued, suddenly angry at himself for not telling Komaeda sooner, for not realizing it himself sooner, that he actually valued the other on some level. He’d hinted at it before, but Komaeda wasn’t going to understand something like that unless it was direct. Even then, it was too easy for his words to miss the mark and create a misunderstanding between them. Knowing Komaeda, he would manipulate Hinata’s words into something his mind could easily digest before even considering to take them at face value.

“I mean it when I say that I appreciate the effort you’ve put into an insignificant human like me, but please , Hinata-kun-”

“Komaeda, I care about you.” Hinata threw out the claim boldly before his embarrassment had a chance to catch up to him. He’d said the same words before, when he talked with Komaeda those few days ago, but something about this time felt different. Komaeda surely felt it too, by the way he froze where he was seated. Showing affection had always been difficult for Hinata, so even words as simple as that were a cause for his cheeks to redden. He hoped it wasn’t noticeable. 

It was silent for the next few seconds, just long enough for Hinata to notice a ringing sound in his ears, no doubt stress induced. Komaeda’s sudden, almost sinister laughter sliced the silence like a knife.

“Ah, Hinata-kun, I thought the despair disease was only something Monokuma made up.”

“H-huh?”

His expression melded into one more serious. Hinata could tell he was distressed despite his attempt to maintain a carefree position. He was reminded of when Komaeda was inflicted with the despair disease. He’d told outrageous lies, and said rude things to Hinata, things such as , _I want you to leave_ , and _I hate seeing your face_. Except that those comments weren’t all that rude, because they’d been fabrications that Komaeda couldn’t help but tell.

“Komaeda, I’m not lying. I really do care about you,” Hinata said.

“You really don’t have to take it this far,” he looked taken aback, if not offended. “I long ago accepted that I’m a disgusting, unlovable person. You don’t have to try and make me feel better about it. If anything, it only hurts more.” His voice sounded pained at the end, as if to demonstrate the very words he spoke.

“Komaeda,” Hinata said quietly.

“It just feels so _nice_ , you know. Sometimes I almost believe it’s real, but...” He smiled solemnly, a million hidden thoughts in that expression. “Perhaps holding onto false hope and then inevitably being crushed is what I deserve.”

“Just listen to me, that’s not it at all,” Hinata insisted, his tone edging on the verge of a plea. He sounded more frustrated than anything, though.

Komaeda frowned, the sadness not leaving his eyes. “Then enlighten me, Hinata-kun.”

“Since when have I ever been the type of person to deceive someone like that? If I didn’t want you around, I would make it abundantly clear, so don’t try and tell me what my intentions are.” Komaeda was silent. “I want so desperately to understand you.”

“So that you can keep everyone else safe,” Komaeda countered.

“Maybe at first!” Hinata said in a raised voice. “I admit that’s how it was in the simulation, but it’s not like I ever lied to you about that.”

“And now…?” he trailed off.

“The difference now is that you’re my friend,” Hinata breathed out. He knew that since it was out there, there was no taking it back. “At least, that’s how I see it. Obviously you might feel different, but you need to know that I’m not faking anything.”

With what he said hanging in the air, he felt dread course through him. How would Komaeda respond? Would he run off and never speak to him again, laugh him off, or perhaps slap him? Hinata wanted to remain optimistic, but he didn’t think it would go well, no matter what direction it took.

Despite that, he couldn’t regret saying what he did. He was surprised at how easily he spoke, at how true the words he said were. He remembered the way he felt about Komaeda when they first met in the program; the feeling of safety that being around him evoked, and the yearning to spend more time with him. He thought those feelings were nullified after the first trial, but he’d come to find that they still lied within him, just with a couple extra layers below the surface. He liked being around Komaeda, for some strange reason that he had yet to unravel all the answers to.

“Please believe me,” he added a few moments later, hoping that the sheer honesty in his voice would reach the other, who was looking at him with an unreadable expression from where he sat.

“Oh,” was all Komaeda said, as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Hinata saw the hope in his eyes. Not the swirling sign of one of his ill ramblings, but a healthy sign of desire, like he was really considering what Hinata said. Komaeda wanted it to be true. The question is whether he would allow it to be.

“I-is that okay?” Hinata asked, hoping he sounded sure of himself.

Komaeda sighed before replying. “You’re making a tremendous mistake.”

“Then that’s my decision to make a tremendous mistake.” Hinata was consoled by the fact that he wasn’t outright denied. “Don’t you think the universe has put you through enough shit?” he added.

Komaeda shook his head with a shaky laugh. “I’ve learned time and time again that things don’t just suddenly get better. I can never ask the universe for anything normal.”

Hinata countered, “I thought you hated normal.” Komaeda looked unable to reply to that, at least immediately, so he took his chance and continued. “Besides, that might not be the case anymore. You remember what I said about our luck, and I still think that at least some of my hypothesis is right. You can have this. Nothing bad will happen.”

“And if you’re wrong?” he rebutted.

“Then we’ll deal with it as it comes. I’m tired of living my life in fear, and I know you must be, too.”

Komaeda was tapping his fingers on the table in front of him. His guarded demeanor from before was beginning to falter. Hinata noticed that his fingernails were raw, like he’d been biting them, and furrowed his eyebrows with a frown. The bags under his eyes were as dark as usual, standing out against his olive pale skin. And now, soaking wet, he was susceptible to the windy air. Hinata was worried.

“I want coffee,” Komaeda finally said, dragging Hinata away from his thoughts. He wondered if he could take the change of subject as a surrender. Had he succeeded? “I think I’ll go get some from the restaurant while everyone’s still busy at the diner.”

“Put on some dry clothes first. Better yet, take a shower.”

Komaeda smiled. “Hinata-kun is so considerate. I _am_ awfully uncomfortable in these wet jeans…”

“Yea, I’m sure you are.”

He and Komaeda looked at each other for a few awkward seconds before the latter got up from his spot, fumbling slightly when he stood. 

“Well, I guess I’ll be off then. See you later, Hinata-kun?”

Hinata ignored the way that the expectation in the other's eyes, both innocent and hesitant at the same time, made his heart bloom with something inexplicably warm.

“I’ll come with you!” He rushed to say, standing up as well. “I didn’t get to finish my food at the party, so I’m pretty hungry.”

Komaeda had a guilty expression on his face. “You should go back to the diner with everyone else,” he said firmly.

Hinata shook his head. “Sonia made it clear that she’d rather none of us be alone. I’ll make it up to her another time.”

“How expectedly kind of you, Hinata-kun…” 

“It’s what friends are for,” he mumbled. The feeling in his chest grew when Komaeda half-heartedly smiled at him in return. He didn’t say anything, but he honestly didn’t have to.

The two of them left the merry-go-round and descended on their path to the first island. This time, they walked side-by-side the entire distance.

“Can I ask you something?”

Komaeda looked up from his mug when Hinata spoke. His hair was still damp, although not from the rain this time. They were in the restaurant, Hinata picking at the remnants of a sandwich that he’d made and eaten while the other took his shower. Komaeda arrived just as he finished, and thanked Hinata profusely when seeing that he’d brewed a pot of coffee. To Hinata’s fortune, none of their friends came back to where they were. He still had more that he wanted to say before being interrupted.

“Of course, Hinata-kun. You shouldn’t ask for my permission.”

Hinata swiveled his fork across his plate absentmindedly, wincing when it scraped and made an ear-splitting noise. Komaeda, too, looked pained from the sound.

He muttered, “Sorry. I know you don’t like loud noises.”

Komaeda shook his head, but his face was still slightly contorted in discomfort. “It’s fine. What did you want to say?”

“It’s about something you told me during the program,” Hinata said. “Honestly, I’m not sure if you even remember telling me.”

“I sure hope I didn’t forget any of my time with Hinata-kun.”

Hinata couldn’t tell that was sarcasm. Instead of dwelling on it, and the implications of it either way, he continued.

“You said something about how you avoid getting close to anyone and... It seemed like you did your best to make nobody want to be close to you, either.” Komaeda attempted to look unphased, sipping his coffee, but Hinata noticed the thoughtful wrinkle that formed on his forehead. If anything, it only confirmed the suspicions that he already held, so he said his next words with confidence. “That’s why you provoked Kuzuryu, right?”

Komaeda placed his mug on the table, the gentle clack ringing in the near-silent room. He rested one elbow, his real one, on the table, placing his chin in his hand accordingly. He leaned forward, his lashes in full view now that Hinata had to look down at him from across the table, but he could still make out the guarded look in the other’s eyes.

“Are you planning to analyze me with those new abilities of yours?”

“No. I thought you said I can ask you whatever I want?”

“I said you don’t need my permission.”

Hinata let out a frustrated groan. “I’m genuinely trying to help you out here.”

“Oh, is that so?” Komaeda asked, crossing his arms. Hinata picked up the familiar condescending tone in his voice that he knew so well from experience.

He wondered if every conversation between them would end up like this; Hinata frustrated, trying to get through to Komaeda, while the other throws up his walls haphazardly as if his life depended on it (in his defense, that was probably not too far off from how he actually felt). 

“I told you that I want to know you better,” Hinata said. Komaeda seemed to shut up at that. “When the storm started, you were scared that it was your fault.”

“That’s because It _was_ my fault.”

“Perhaps,” Hinata admitted. “We can’t prove it either way, but it’s strange that your bad luck has barely acted up on this island. It was similar in the program, was it not?”

“I thought you said that was because of you,” Komaeda replied. “Are you taking it back?”

“No, I still think I was right about that,” Hinata said. “The point is, I have no clue what caused that storm today. It could have been anything. And even if it was you, who cares? Nobody got hurt.”

“ _Yet_ ,” Komaeda inputted firmly.

“We’re getting off topic,” Hinata quickly said, not wanting to lose track of his true goal when first deciding to bring this up to Komaeda. “You panicked. Don’t even try to deny it,” he added when he saw Komaeda open his mouth, surely to do just as Hinata said. “And then you purposefully picked a fight so that you could make your escape.”

“I wasn’t lying about what I said to Kuzuryuu-kun. It is rather unfortunate he’s made no progress with Pekoyama-san,” Komaeda said.

“It also isn’t our business.”

Komaeda shrugged. “I won’t deny that.”

“Maybe you didn’t lie, but what you did do is antagonize yourself on purpose,” Hinata pointed out. “You want us to hate you, right? That’s your end goal of acting like an asshole.”

Komaeda’s face grew grim. “The thought of yourself and the ultimates hating me is...devastating, to put it lightly.”

 _That’s putting it lightly?_ “I’ll rephrase, then. You want to keep us at a distance.”

“Well, you’ve made it clear that keeping you at a distance will prove difficult,” Komaeda snapped back, but the tone of it was rather lighthearted.

“But with the others-”

“It’s better that way,” Komaeda finished. He didn’t necessarily look elated when he said those words, but he didn’t look devastated, either. He had an air of acceptance around him. Hinata knew that Komaeda was used to being around the other ultimates while simultaneously preventing any of them from getting close, or even _wanting_ to get close.

Hinata sighed.

“Is that all?” Komaeda brought the mug back to his lips. It was clear that he wanted the conversation to be over.

He decided not to push it.

The next day, Hinata wasn’t even done with his breakfast before he was being manhandled out of his chair and dragged outside. It took him a few moments to gather an understanding for his surroundings before he could finally connect the colorful dyed hair to the perpetrator. Mioda was at least half a foot shorter than him, and Hinata didn’t fancy accidentally injuring her if he used a matched level of force to fight her off. He still had trouble understanding his own capabilities.

“Hajime, Come with me!” Her grip on his arm tightened as she bolted towards the door, dragging him helplessly along for the ride. He made a strangled noise and stared at his friends frantically, but instead of helping him, they all just shrugged, waved, or called out _‘have fun!’_ like the traitors they were.

_Some friends I have._

“Hold on, slow down!” Hinata exclaimed as he stumbled down the steps as carefully as he could manage (which was quite difficult, considering the speed he had to keep up in order to not lag behind Mioda and lose his footing).

The girl in mention did just as he said when they got to the bottom of the steps, effectively coming to a halt. She swung around, striking Hinata with a feeling not far off from whiplash. He leaned back so that she wouldn’t accidentally hit him, and she shot him a toothy smile in return. Though, upon seeing the frazzled expression that Hinata bore, she gasped slightly and moved to scratch the back of her head in embarrassment.

“Sorry, did Ibuki get carried away again?” She asked sheepishly.

“A little bit,” he replied. He rubbed at his sore wrists, but he knew that her grip hadn’t been hard enough to bruise. “It’s alright. What’s this all about?”

Her smile returned, and Hinata immediately felt more at ease. If there was one thing on Jabberwock that he knew for certain, it was that a happy Ibuki Mioda was enough to make any situation better. She was their moodmaker, and he came to appreciate her uplifting presence more and more every day, even if she could be a little overwhelming at times.

“You promised to help with redesigning the music venue, remember?” She pouted in a way that made Hinata know he wouldn’t be able to deny her. He wondered if she knew what she was doing, or if she was completely oblivious to the way that she could annoyingly control people’s emotions to an effect similar to that of a begging puppy.

He could vaguely remember agreeing to something along the lines of what she was referring to (although only after he was badgered for days on end), but he certainly didn’t remember that it was today. Then again, the days since waking up tended to blend together, so it wasn’t a hard story to buy into. 

Most students had a difficult time entering the area where they’d been killed in the simulation, and Mioda wasn’t an exception to that. Even though memories of the victims were fuzzy, they were still uncomfortable when coming into contact with anything that reminded them of their death. For Mioda, this was devastating, because she was killed in the one place that was especially perfect for her. It didn’t take long for her moping about it to cease. After only a month of being awake, she came up with the plan to revamp _Titty Typhoon_ and make it a place where she felt welcome, as opposed to somewhere that only served to resurface trauma. Hinata wasn’t sure that her plan would work, but he thought it was worth a shot and semi-reluctantly agreed to help her.

“I did promise that, didn’t I?” He finally responded. Since it was important to Mioda, he couldn’t bring himself to be too upset. He knew that everyone would be more than happy for her nighttime guitar practices in her own cottage to come to end. “Will it just be the two of us?”

“Oh, the actual redesigning isn’t today,” she explained. Hinata nodded along with her as they began to walk with her leading the way, a skip in her step. “You’re coming to my cottage to pick a color for the walls!”

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, though. I feel a little too wiped out to do any actual work,” he said. “Where did you get the colors from, anyway?” _How do we even have options for that kind of thing?_

“Paint!” She yelled back as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. He could only assume that she’d found some at Rocketpunch Market.

He decided to just shut up and follow her instead of asking questions, and was quickly led into her cottage, which she left entirely unlocked. It shouldn’t have surprised Hinata, but he did find himself a little awestruck by Mioda’s unabashed trust in all of them, even after everything she’d been through.

Mioda’s room had almost an equal amount of personality to herself. She’d presumably used some of the paint for her own for there were random paint splatters of any and every color littering her walls. She had two ukuleles hanging up and a large guitar perched next to her bed, which she’d strung pink and blue curtains around so that it almost resembled that of a princess. It was too much for Hinata’s own tastes, but it was unmistakably suiting for the room’s owner.

“Okay now, what do you think?” she asked. She threw her arms out and gestured to the paint splatters on her wall. “Blue is always a safe bet, but pink walls would be totally rad!”

Her eyes lit up as she looked from the wall, to Hinata, to the wall again, and then back at Hinata while the latter was just curious about if she had only put the paint on her wall so that she could ask people’s opinion on the colors.

Before Hinata could reply, a knock sounded out the door and Mioda grumbled. Quickly, though, her demeanor went back to one of excitement as she rushed to fling the door open.

“Hey hey, Kazuichi!” She cheered. Hinata turned to see that Souda was indeed the one at the door. “Did you want to help with the music venue too?”

“I-what?” Souda asked. He craned his neck to look past Mioda and locked eyes with Hinata. “I thought I saw Hajime come in here, ‘n I wanted to talk to him. What’re you doing in a girls room anyways, dude?”

“I was helping her with something,” Hinata said with a roll of his eyes.

“Hajime is very useful!” Mioda agreed. Souda looked back and forth between the two of them with thinly-veiled suspicion.

Souda leaned in towards him so that Mioda wouldn't be able to overhear. "I didn’t know she was your type."

“That’s not-” Hinata cut himself off, knowing it was no use to defend himself. Whatever Souda was working up in his own head, he’d have to leave it be for the time being. He was screaming internally, but settled for just letting out a sigh. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something?”

“But Hajimeee,” Mioda whined, drawling out his name. “You need to pick a color!”

“I think the blue looks nice,” he said dismissively. “The pink reminds me too much of Souda’s hair.”

“Hey! What’s wrong with my hair!?”

“Oh, Ibuki thinks your hair is super cool!” She exclaimed. “Can Ibuki braid it?”

“Heh...maybe another time,” Souda pulled down his beanie over his head in a rather protective manner. It looked like he’d rather jump off the island than let anyone near his hair with a ten foot pole. “I’m outta here. You coming, Hajime?”

“I guess so?” He looked at Mioda, and almost jumped in place when he saw that she was picking up her guitar.

“What? No! Hajime has to stay so that he can hear my performance for when we open _Titty Typhoon again_!”

“Hey you never mentioned anything to me about that!”

“Doesn’t matter either way,” Souda butted in. “I need him to come fix up that old truck by the motel!”

“What?” Hinata asked, looking over at Souda. “Why would we need a truck?”

The mechanic grinned, his sharp teeth flashing dangerously. “Thought it would be cool, and way easier than having to travel around by foot all the time.”

“Can a truck even cross the bridges?” Mioda looked as if she was thinking really hard about the logistics of it. After a moment, she clearly gave up and went back to hooking her guitar up to an amp. Hinata knew he needed to get out of there quickly.

“Sorry to interrupt, but you guys were being awfully loud and I got curious.”

Whoever was speaking came in from behind Souda, who visibly stiffened when realizing who the all-too familiar breathy voice belonged to. Komaeda stepped further into the room, standing closer to Hinata than to anyone else, and surveyed the area like he’d been invited in for tea.

“You’ve got an awful lot of nerve showing up around here after that stunt you pulled at Miss Sonia’s party,” Souda said. He scowled, mood suddenly dropped and eyes narrowed so quickly as if someone had flicked a switch in the room.

Hinata sent a warning glare to Souda. Komaeda caught onto it immediately. “It’s fine, Hinata-kun. He’s right to think I’m a nuisance.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Souda growled underneath his breath.

“I guess assuming that I’m only a mere nuisance was too arrogant of me. The term ‘repulsive bug’ would have been more accurate.”

Souda groaned aloud, clearly frustrated. Hinata was feeling similarly, although undoubtedly for different reasons. 

“Why the hell do you gotta make everything weird?” Souda asked, then suddenly caught himself. “Don't Answer that. It was rhetorical.”

Hinata sighed and looked at the white haired man questioningly. “Do you need something, Komaeda? Or did you just want us to quiet down?”

“If you do need something, make it fast. I’m gonna need Hajime today-“

“Hey, what about Ibuki?” Called Mioda from a few feet away, reminding everyone of just whose room they were actually in. “Ibuki still needs Hajime-chan too…”

“No way! You can get anyone to listen to your music, but Hajime is the only one capable of helping me repair the truck!”

“Hajime-chan agreed to help me first,” Mioda pointed out.

Hinata wanted to rip out his own hair just from witnessing the pointless banter. Taking his focus away from the two, his eyes met Komaeda’s, who was standing closest to him. He wondered how desperate he looked at that moment.

“Actually,” Komaeda suddenly spoke up, interrupting the argument just as Ibuki lifted her guitar like she was about to hit something with it. Komaeda took a step back, almost sheltering himself behind Hinata in a way that only the latter noticed. “Hinata-kun has already agreed to help me study.”

“Study?” Souda asked in disbelief. “Study what?”

“Yea, sounds _booooring_ ,” sang Mioda.

“Mathematics,” Komaeda supplied easily. “Hinata-kun’s the ultimate Mathematician, after all.”

“I am?” Hinata asked. Komaeda gave him a look, and Hinata cleared his throat nonchalantly before correcting himself. “That I am, yes. It is one of my talents. No doubt about it.”

“Why would you need to know about numbers and shit when we’re all stuck on an island?”

“No clue,” Hinata said. “I just know that I agreed to help him today, so…”

Mioda twiddled her thumbs and picked at the strap of her guitar, which was wrapped around her neck, while Souda suspiciously looked back and forth between the other two men in the room.

“I guess it’s better to have you looking after him,” Souda eventually conceded. “At least if he’s with you, I know he’s not off trying to blow up the pool or something.”

Komaeda frowned at Souda’s accusatory words, but kept his mouth shut. A spark of irritation lit up inside of Hinata. He bit his own tongue before he ended up saying something he’d regret.

“It’s not like I’m his babysitter,” He settled on saying, but it was muttered too quietly to be heard by anyone other than perhaps Komaeda himself.

“Hajime-chan can help another day,” Mioda spoke up, a godsend to change the subject. There was a hint of hopefulness in her words.

“Of course,” Hinata agreed. “But for now, I should get going.”

“I guess I’ll go work on the truck on my own.” Souda looked slightly disappointed, but still engrossed in the idea of working on the vehicle. Hinata would feel bad if it wasn’t for how wiped out he happened to feel that day. In addition, he knew how it was that Souda worked. He had very specific methods, and would probably spend half of their time scolding Hinata on various things.

“Ibuki calls shotgun when you take it for a spin!”

Hinata awkwardly waved goodbye before himself, Komaeda, and Souda stepped out of Mioda’s room. On the other side of the door, they could hear her guitar being hooked up to the amp, and they quickly parted ways to avoid lingering longer than necessary.

“Well, uh, see ya later, Hajime!” Souda threw out before practically sprinting towards the hotel lobby. Hinata followed Komaeda as they left the hotel together, although not in as much of a rush as Souda had been in.

Once out and walking along a path with no clear direction, Hajime breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks for getting me out of there.”

Komaeda wasn’t looking at him, but Hinata could make out his lips faintly quirking up at the edges. “You looked like a deer in headlights. Rather pitiful, actually. I knew I had to do something.” He said it so matter-of-factly that Hinata couldn’t even find it in him to be offended. Komaeda probably wasn’t even aware of how the words could be taken.

“So… Library, then?” Hinata asked. 

Koameda’s head snapped up, and he suddenly laughed, the sound of it polite and airy.

“You don’t have to waste your time by spending it with me,” he said sincerely. “But I guess you’re worried that Mioda-san and Souda-san will get suspicious if they realize we aren’t really studying together.”

“Um, no, that’s not really it.” Hinata tapped his foot impatiently and quickly glanced around to see if they were alone, not that it really mattered. Hinata was beyond the consideration of keeping his friendship with Komaeda on the down-low, especially if he wanted the rest of the island to cooperate with him. “We’re friends, remember? Maybe I just want to hang out at the library.”

“Ah, as friends?” Komaeda asked back softly, hesitantly, like he was afraid saying it aloud would grant him the denial he always expected.

“We’ve been over this already,” Hinata said dryly. “For a smart guy, you’re pretty dense.”

“My apologies, Hinata-kun. I…” He paused, biting his lip. “I’d love to go to the library.”

Hinata looked him over once approvingly and nodded, feeling a little lighter at Komaeda’s admittance. “Alright, come on then, it seems like today is gonna be really sunny. If _I_ burn, I know you’ll turn into a lobster with that skin of yours.” He continued to walk down the given path. The bridge to the center island loomed not far ahead, and if they walked fast, they could probably make it before the sun would be at its daily peak.

“That _would_ be awfully unlucky,” Komaeda replied. “But on the other hand, perhaps it would be best if my skin burned and fell off, since I’m getting to spend the afternoon with Hinata-kun.”

Instead of giving what would have surely been a highly-intelligent response, Hinata grabbed the others arm and tugged him along at a swift pace.

The library proved a suitable shelter from the blaring heat made.which was prominent by the time that the two boys arrived. Inside, the area was well-lit through the curtains, the sun casting light in stripes over the shelves that were adorned with books of all subjects and multiple years worth of dust. There were a couple lamps around, but the area probably would have still been well-lit without them.

Komaeda held steady conversation with him all the while, even as the two of them began to scavenge the room to see what kind of literature was available to them. It was almost like he was afraid to stop talking.

“I’ve been here a couple times in the last few weeks,” he said. “It’s quieter than anywhere else I’ve found on the islands.”

Hinata noted, “The selection is different than it was before, though I’m sure you’ve noticed that already.”

Komaeda nodded, his hands shuffling along the books on one of the shelves. Hinata could see the dust flying clearly in a strip of sunlight. “There’s an abundance of encyclopedias and textbooks now, but- oh!” He suddenly stepped back with a book in his grasp, his gaze trained on the cover intently.

“Did you find something?” Hinata asked out of curiosity.

“I’ve read this before,” Komaeda explained, flashing the cover to Hinata briefly. He caught the sight of words, surely the title, before it was out of his sight. Komaeda then turned the book over gently in his frail hands, running his slim fingers down the spine and feeling the ridges where golden letters were indented. “It was many years ago. I read it while staying in a hospital.”

Hinata decided that he didn’t want to know the reason behind Komeada being in the hospital. Knowing his history, it was probably something traumatic or sad enough to kill Hinata’s mood for the rest of the afternoon. Instead, he moved closer to the other and glanced over his shoulder, while Komaeda flipped through the book’s pages absentmindedly.

Hinata asked, “Did you like it?”

Komaeda nodded. “I actually would’ve read it again, had I not ended up banned from that hospital.” When he saw the look on Hinata’s face, he elaborated. “An elevator broke and I got blamed for lack of any other explanation… just my luck.”

Hinata chuckled lightly, unsure of exactly he was supposed to respond to something like that. “Yea, so uh, what’s it about? The book, I mean.”

“Well, it _was_ a long time ago that I read it,” Komaeda said thoughtfully. “I remember there being a demon in the story somewhere, so it must have been a fantasy novel.”

“I didn’t take you for the type to be interested in stories like that.”

“Well, I was more interested in the blatant sexual tension between the male leads.”

If Hinata was drinking something, it surely would have been spat out on the floor after that line. Komaeda noted the surprise on his face, letting out a laugh.

“And why did that, er, interest you?” Hinata cringed inwardly, wishing that he suddenly had the ultimate ability to travel back just a few seconds of time and stop himself from asking such an absurdly strange question. Or maybe it wasn’t strange, but rather just embarrassing, because Hinata felt his face heating up for some reason.

Komaeda blinked once. “C’mon, Hinata-kun, you’re the genius here,” he said, and Hinata decided not to point out to the other that he was also quite the genius himself. Komaeda left no time for mulling on the subject before he continued. “Rather than a fantasy novel, it was humorous in the way that it played out. The demon’s presence was more ironic than anything because, well-” he suddenly stopped. “I won’t finish that, because that would spoil the ending.”

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you suggesting I read it?”

Komaeda shrugged. “I can tell that you’re curious.” He tossed the book lightly, and Hinata’s reflexes rushed to grab it before the thought even finished making its way to his head. Once in his hands, Hinata noted that the book was considerably thick.

“Fine, but if it sucks, you owe me.”

“I’m already beyond indebted to Hinata-kun in the first place,” Komaeda responded. “So I’ll take my chances. But honestly, I think you’ll like it.”

Hinata suddenly frowned, and spoke against his better judgement. “Don’t say that.”

Komaeda looked genuinely confused. “Say what, Hinata-kun?”

“That you’re-” he sighed, waving his arms around in a meaningless gesture. “You know, that you’re indebted to me or whatever.”

“But it’s true. I owe Hinata-kun my life.”

“It’s true that I played a part in helping you wake up,” Hinata began. “But I did that because I wanted to. I did it for my own selfish reasons, because I didn’t want to live with the guilt of being alive while the rest of you guys slowly wasted away.”

“But, for someone like yourself to give me another chance-”

Hinata cut him off. “If you really want to do something for me, try to see yourself in a more positive light.”

Komaeda’s face turned sullen, and he almost looked remorseful for the next words he uttered, because he must have known that Hinata wouldn’t like them. “Oh, but that’s impossible for someone as wretched as myself, Hinata-kun.”

The words made his heart twinge with an indescribable ache. Maybe it was since he finally regarded Komaeda as a friend, but he wanted the other to find someone within himself worth living for. If Hinata was really bold, he’d say that he wished Komeada could find a way to love himself, even if it was impossible to imagine that outcome when talking to the traumatized boy he’d come to enjoy the company of. Then again, Hinata had seen stranger things in his time, so he couldn’t say that it could never happen. The thought gave him comfort.

Instead of responding, Hinata walked over to the loveseat that he knew to be the only comfortable furniture in the library that allowed for more than one occupant, and patted at the area next to him once he was seated.

“Come on, why don’t we read it together?” he asked. Komaeda perked up at that, gaze trained on where Hinata’s hand rested next to him. He seemed to be relieved by the change of subject, but now looked guilty for an entirely new reason.

“Oh, that’s alright, I’m sure you don’t want to be in that close of proximity to-”

“It’s fine, Komaeda.” Hinata was firm in his words. He lifted his arm and placed it in his own lap, leaving the seat next to him open. “I came to the library to spend time with you. Besides, you wanted to reread this, right?”

Komaeda stood in place for a few moments before sitting down next to Hinata just as the other requested. Even then, he seemed hesitant in his decision, and was keeping as much distance between the two of them as physically possible on the tiny loveseat.

“Won’t this distract you from paying attention to the plot?”

Hinata rolled his eyes. “I’m sure one of my ultimate analytical abilities will keep me in line. Now move closer so that you can actually read.”

When Komaeda didn’t immediately budge, Hinata reached out to tug him forward. When he made a connection with his arm, Komaeda flinched lightly, but didn’t jerk out of Hinata’s grasp. He just let out a breath that sounded strangely flustered before scooting over. Hinata could feel the movement from underneath him, and the way that the cushions dipped when Komaeda was finally close enough to him that their thighs would touch if Hinata moved his right leg even a little. He wondered if Komaeda was consciously avoiding the skin contact, or if Hinata was the only one contemplating just how close they actually were in this situation.

He realized that his hand was still wrapped around Komaeda’s arm and promptly pulled it away, picking up the book as if to distract his thoughts from it.

When Hinata opened the book, he felt stray strands of white tickle his neck where Komaeda was looking over his shoulder. He could tell how close their faces were from the corner of his eye, but pointedly ignored it as he flipped past the acknowledgements and began the first chapter of the story.

It felt a little awkward at first, with how close they were, but Hinata soon focused his attention on the words in front of him instead of those cumbersome feelings. The first time he turned the page, he glanced over slightly at the man next to him to make sure that he wasn’t going too fast. It seemed that Komaeda had already finished before him, and looked confused as to why Hinata was stopping to look at him, so Hinata didn’t do that again.

He continued to read at his own pace, hoping that it wasn’t too slow for the other, but Komaeda never voiced a complaint, so he could only assume that the other wasn’t bothered.

It was around the time that he was nearing the end of the first chapter that he heard a stifled yawn from next to him. It pulled him from the fictional world so that he could look over at Komaeda, who was rubbing a closed fist against his eye tiredly.

“Are you bored?” Hinata asked.

Komaeda shook his head. “Of course not, Hinata-kun... I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

He should have assumed that from the start, with all the assumptions he had about Komaeda’s surely terrible sleeping schedule. He made a mental note on what page he was on in the book before closing it and placing it on his lap.

“Do you know why you’re always having such trouble sleeping?”

Komaeda, predictably, laughed off Hinata’s question light-heartedly. “Oh, you shouldn’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I’ll probably just find an energy drink at the diner after we leave here.”

Hinata’s face curled slightly in disgust. “You like those things?”

“Not at all. Actually, I think they’re revolting, but they’re better than the alternative,” Komaeda said dismissively, like he hadn’t just given Hinata something to latch onto and figure out.

“Better than the alternative,” he echoed quietly, but Komaeda caught his words and peeked up at him. Hinata frowned, turning more towards the other. “Komaeda, have you been depriving yourself of sleep on purpose?”

A slightly less cheerful smile is what Hinata got in return, but he knew that he was right. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. “I’m sure you get nightmares too.”

It clicked simply at those words, and Hinata realized that he should have realized it sooner. The dark circles under Komaeda’s eyes and excessive caffeine were dead giveaways that he was experiencing nightmares, but Hinata sometimes still needed bluntless to grasp an understanding in its entirety. 

He’d had his own fair share of horrifying dreams since waking up. Some focused on the tragedy, the blood and gore that he’d witnessed first-hand through Izuru. They felt like memories, although he couldn’t prove if that was the truth one way or another. Trying to recall his memories as Izuru were difficult, for they often felt fuzzy in his mind, but his dreams of the tragedy were shockingly vivid. It felt as if he was reliving it all over again, only this time as Hajime Hinata himself.

Other times, Hinata’s nightmares were to remind him of the simulation. The dead bodies of his classmates haunted him, especially before he’d succeeded in waking them. Some nights, he witnessed the murders taking place, but could do nothing to stop them. On other’s, his mind would replay his classmate’s executions on repeat like a music box. The worst of them all, which happened more times than Hinata would like to admit, were the times that Hinata saw the dead bodies of the survivors; of Kuzuryu, Souda, Sonia, and Owari. It felt like a slap to the face, to tell him that he could never save anyone at all, or perhaps to remind him that no one is safe. Dreams like those would have Hinata waking up in a cold sweat. One night he even bothered Souda at what must have been after three A.M. just to assure himself that the other was alright.

The nightmares were less frequent as time went on, and Hinata rarely had them at all since finally waking everyone up. It was weeks, or perhaps even a month since the last painstakingly terrible nightmare that he could remember. It didn’t stop the creeping anxiety that worked its way up his spine just at the chilling memories.

“I do have them sometimes,” Hinata admitted. “But I don’t...torture myself over it.”

While he had no idea what exactly could be going on in Komaeda’s nightmares, he knew that if they were half as bad as his own, or even possibly worse, it was beyond his imagination. What he did know was that Komaeda was so plagued by his nightmares that he forced himself to stay awake, or perhaps the nightmares were so bad that he couldn’t get back to sleep when he tried. Both were equally awful, and both made Hinata sick to his stomach.

“Trust me, Hinata-kun. The _real_ torture would be forcing myself to sleep.” Komaeda’s face darkened, his eyes cast downward under Hinata’s curious gaze. His shoulders began to tremble, but he quickly composed himself before Hinata could even register what had happened. He added, “I appreciate the worry over something so insignificant, but it’s not necessary.”

Hinata’s immediate reaction was to explain to Komaeda that it wasn’t insignificant because his well-being mattered to him, that he was worried, but his chance to try and explain that to the other was lost when he heard an eerie creak from the other side of the library, signifying that someone was opening the door.

“Oh, there you are,” The imposter said, as if it was a hassle. They appeared in the doorway and scrutinized the two boys. They raised an eyebrow when noticing their positions, and Hinata realized that it probably looked strange that the two of them were sitting up against each other and leaving the spacious loveseat largely unused by their closeness. He inched away from Komaeda, which was practically impossible as he was up against the armrest. Komaeda scooted to his own side accordingly, surely making them both look even more guilty of something that they weren’t.

“Me?” Hinata asked, nonchalantly tapping his fingers on the book in his lap.

They shook their head. “No, the other one.” Komaeda’s head perked up in interest. “I believe Kuzuryuu is looking for you.”

Hinata felt uneasy at the admission. “Why would he want to see Komaeda?”

The Imposter shrugged. “He didn’t seem to be in a particularly foul mood… for Kuzuryuu, that is. Perhaps he wanted to apologize for yesterday’s misunderstanding?”

“I’m sure that’s not it,” Komaeda said lightly. “If anything, he probably wants to go through with his threats of physical violence. Where did you say he is?”

They blinked in surprise at the blunt words. After all, they hadn’t been around Komaeda long enough to understand how he was. Sure, they’d been told, and had been a victim of the man’s antics, but that was an entirely different experience than witnessing him first-hand.

“He’s at the diner.”

Komaeda nodded, only looking the slightest bit nervous, and scurried over to the door. Just before exiting, though, he peeked back to look at Hinata. They looked at each other for the smallest of moments, Komaeda not saying a word, but there was an expectancy in his eyes.

“See you later,” Hinata said simply, a wave to accompany it. 

Komaeda’s eyes lit up like the words Hinata said were the equivalent to a confession of undying love. The corners of his mouth quirked up. “Bye, Hinata-kun, Imposter-kun,” he said as he let the door shut behind him.

Hinata relaxed into the love seat once he was gone, not realizing that he was in a stiff position before. He picked up the book in his lap, turning it over in his hands again before placing it on a table next to him.

“He’s a piece of work, isn’t he?” The question didn’t sound like it was asked out of irritation, but rather of sheer observation. Hinata almost forgot that The Imposter hadn’t left.

“Who, Komaeda?” He responded dumbly. “I mean...yea, that’s one way to put it.”

“But you like him.” Again, sheer observation.

Hinata shrugged, unsure of what the other was trying to imply. “He’s not so bad.”

The faintest of smiles graced the Imposter’s face. They clearly had something on their mind, but whatever it was, they didn’t voice it aloud. Hinata didn’t like the feeling that they knew something he didn’t.

He didn’t linger at the library much longer, as it was rapidly approaching dinner time. Hanamura had many types of seafood pasta, fresh salad, and garlic bread prepared across the tables when he arrived back at the restaurant. He took a seat next to Souda, who was in a heated debate with Tanaka about something that he probably didn’t want or need to know the details about, so he busied himself with filling his plate instead of paying them mind.

Halfway through everyone’s meal, Kuzuryuu entered the restaurant fashionably late. Unsurprisingly, he was alone, though a small part of Hinata uselessly hoped to see Komaeda timidly walk in after. He tried to get a read on the former yakuza’s mood, to see if it would give him any sort of inclination to how his confrontation with Komaeda went down, but found that Kuzuryuu looked no more irritated than usual, if not a little weary.

“Took you long enough!” Hanamura admonished once he realized the other arrived. “I don’t spend all afternoon cooking for you people just to have you show up when it’s no longer fresh.”

Kuzuryuu pointedly ignored him with a roll of his eyes and sat down in an unoccupied seat, which just so happened to be on Souda’s other side. Hinata realized that they wouldn’t have an opportunity to converse without the mechanic overhearing.

“Hey, uhhh,” Souda mumbled suddenly. His debate with Tanaka seemingly sizzled out once Kuzuryuu arrived. “Did you end up finding him?”

The ‘him’ in context was undoubtedly Komaeda, being the only one not already in the restaurant. Hinata realized that everyone must already know about how Kuzuryuu was looking for him, which explained why The Imposter pointed it out when encountering them in the library. It saved him the trouble of having to be the one to bring up the subject.

“Yea, that’s why I’m fuckin’ late,” Kuzuryuu sighed. Hinata would’ve been worried by his tone if it wasn’t for how naturally vulgar he knew the man to be.

“I assume your encounter wasn’t pleasant?” Pekoyama asked matter-of-factly.

“I’m surprised you made it out alive.” Owari probably didn’t notice the very subtle glare that Hinata shot at her before dragging his attention back to Kuzuryuu.

Sonia commented, “I mean...you look like you’re in one piece.”

“It was fine,” Kuzuryuu resolutely confirmed. “I think we should put the whole thing from yesterday behind us.”

A few eyebrows were raised around the table. Almost everyone was surprised to hear Kuzuryuu’s words. Hinata smiled lightly as a level of anxiety drained from his system. “That’s good to hear.”

He was met with an impressed look. “I don’t know what the hell you did to him, but he’s much more...” Kuzuryuu paused, trying to find the right words. “He’s almost bearable. Still fucking annoying, though.”

“Three days ago he wouldn’t even talk to me,” Hinata said. “I didn’t really do anything.”

“He seems as weird as usual to me,” added Souda.

“I beg to differ,” The Imposter spoke up from the other side of the table. “He was rather pleasant when I ran into him at the library, save for some morbid commentary, but I guess that was to be expected.”

“It’s because he’s not as isolated anymore,” Sonia piped up. “I, for one, think that Hinata is a good influence on him.” She caught his eye and winked. He smiled back at her warmly, hoping that it conveyed his unspoken thanks.

“Who cares if that loser’s gone gaga for Hinata? I’m gonna lose my appetite if we keep talking about this!”

Saionji’s whining seemed to do the trick for her, and within a minute, multiple conversations struck up, the room filled with chatter similar to that of a school cafeteria. Hinata was relieved to not have to talk about the subject in front of all his friends, as well as relieved to know that Komaeda hadn’t royally screwed up somehow while talking to Kuzuryuu.

He suddenly didn’t feel as hungry, and told himself that it was just the amount of food he ate catching up to him. He wondered if it would be suspicious for him to excuse himself this early, or if he even cared if the others assumed he was running off to see Komaeda. Something about the way Saionji described Komaeda as going ‘gaga’ for him made him feel a little embarrassed, further perpetuating his urge to leave.

He ended up picking at his food idly and making casual conversation with Souda (which mostly involved listening along and nodding at the appropriate moments) until he could make his exit conveniently after some of the others were already cleaning up their places.

Less than five minutes later, he was at the door outside Komaeda’s private cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my least favorite chapter so far, but it addressed some things that needed to happen even if it was a little filler-y. I hope that Komaeda's development doesn't seem rushed, but I will continue to tell myself that I am worrying over nothing because at the end of the day, I have so much fun writing this story and that's what matters the most.
> 
> You can expect chapter 4 in about another 2 weeks!! Thanks so much for everyone reading. Even the ghosties, I sense you and I love you too.
> 
> Everyone take care in the quarantine, especially with school starting in the next few weeks for a lot of us.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Here I am with another chapter :D fyi I'm currently predicting that this story will be 6 chapters (although knowing how my writing sometimes ends up longer than I originally intend, there is a small chance that 6 could become 7), which means that we are past the halfway mark!! you guys are insane with all your amazing and insightful feedback I seriously gush so much reading every single one...u guys are so cool help
> 
> anyways, off you go<3

The interior of Komaeda’s cottage was quite orderly, the only sign of it being lived-in an unmade bed and a book lying open and face-down on the nightstand. Hinata knew that the other didn’t have many belongings from before the tragedy; he was the only one without a box of things to retrieve when leaving the pods, his jacket being the only notable item that was retrieved. It almost made him sad to see a room belonging to someone with as vibrant a personality as Komaeda to lack any sign of said personality. Even his own room, which was still undeniably uninteresting overall, had a touch of originality with his desk and post-it notes that he hung around to remind himself of daily tasks.

Komaeda shuffled around awkwardly as Hinata sat at the edge of his bed for lack of another option.

“Do you have a problem with me being in your room?” he asked.

“Not at all. I just wasn’t expecting company.”

Komaeda picked up the open book and folded the edge of a page before placing it back down gently. Hinata made a mental note to check for a bookmark at RocketPunch market, because he’d certainly seen more niche things than that in the monthly deliveries.

“Well it’s certainly clean in here,” he ran a finger across the bedpost, and was surprised to see the pad of it completely clean when he pulled his hand back to inspect. “Do you _dust_?”

Komaeda exhaled slowly. “I have a lot of free time.”

“You should clean mine sometime then,” Hinata said, before realizing that Komaeda probably wouldn’t take it as a joke. He changed the subject before he could accidentally take advantage of the other’s willingness. “But, um, that’s not why I’m here, obviously.”

“You want to know about what happened with Kuzuryuu-kun and I, right?” Komaeda asked, earning a nod from Hinata in return, who was happy that the other brought up the topic so easily.

“Did he actually apologize to you?”

Komaeda exhaled and frowned thoughtfully. “I tried explaining that it was entirely unnecessary for him to do so, but you know that Kuzuryuu-kun can be stubborn.”

There was dismay and a hint of confusion mixed together in his tone. Hinata found it hard to imagine a situation where Komaeda took an apology from any one of them well, considering his raging inferiority complex. He probably resembled a deer in headlights when Kuzuryuu spoke to him, and Hinata was mildly impressed that they both managed to come out of their meeting without any notable issues (at least, that he currently knew of).

“Yea, but I also know Kuzuryuu well enough to know that he wouldn’t apologize unless he felt that he actually needed to,” Hinata explained. Komaeda looked doubtful, but didn’t outwardly protest. “Was that all he wanted?”

Komaeda shook his head. “We talked for a bit, although he was doing most of the talking. I don’t think he really wanted my input.”

“Sounds likely,” Hinata admitted.

“More than likely. He told me that- what were the words he used?” Komaeda scrunched his nose in concentration, lips pursed as he recalled the memories. “Something along the lines of _‘don’t you fucking interrupt me before I regret talking to you in the first place.’_ ”

Hinata snorted. “He only cursed once?” He asked sarcastically. “He’s growing up.”

“I was paraphrasing.”

Komaeda ruffled his own hair with his hand. He looked stiff, still standing in the middle of the room, and Hinata had to look up awkwardly to make any sort of eye contact during their conversation.

“You look uncomfortable,” Hinata noted. “Why don’t you come sit down?”

Komaeda only looked a little taken aback, surely expecting the sentiment but still reacting like he didn’t deserve something so simple. He opened his mouth slightly, probably to spew some opposition, but seemingly decided better of it. He could play those games when he was the guest in Hinata’s bedroom, but those same arguments wouldn’t hold up here, and he must’ve known that. He glanced around the room, as if making sure there were no other options available, before ambivalently sitting next to Hinata on the bed, making sure to leave at least a foot of distance between them.

“I wish I knew you were coming. I would’ve made the bed.” Komaeda picked up a loose end of his blanket and let it fall over his lap gracefully. “And cleaned up properly.”

Hinata pointed out, “My bed is never made in the first place, _and_ my room is dusty.”

“My room is even more boring than yours. Cleanliness is all it has going for it.”

“I’ll warn you before coming next time,” Hinata said, but realized only seconds later that it was probably a lie. Not directly, of course, but Hinata should’ve known better than to promise something like that. Komaeda chuckled next to him, thoughts clearly running along the same lines.

“You don’t need to do that,” he said cheerfully, fingers toying with the hem of his shirt absentmindedly. “I’m always honored when you ask to spend time with a lowly person like me.”

Hinata’s eyebrows furrowed. He let out a sigh, too exasperated to even acknowledge the heat overcoming his face from Komaeda’s kind words. “I spend time with you because I want to,” he reminded him. “And I don’t like it when you talk like that.”

“Like what, Hinata-kun?”

“Like-” He waved his hands around in an frustrated gesture, wishing that he didn’t have to spell it out for the other man, but he knew that was his only option when Komaeda looked back at him with concern in his eyes. “You know, when you call yourself _lowly_ , or _trash_ , or other things like that.”

“I say it because I know my place.”

There were times in the past where he speculated on whether Komaeda’s self-deprecating attitude was simply a manipulation tactic, but it was apparent that, for some reason Hinata still couldn’t fully grasp, _needed_ to insult himself. It brought him some sort of sick comfort, or maybe it was another means to isolate himself from everyone. Either way, it was clearly a terribly unhealthy coping mechanism worked up over years of trauma and untreated mental illness. Despite that obvious conclusion, Hinata had no idea how long it could take for Komaeda to unlearn it, assuming that was even possible.

“Well, it bothers me,” Hinata said. “I’d prefer if you tried to do it less, but I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“If Hinata-kun really dislikes it that much…” Komaeda spoke hesitantly, testing the idea on his tongue before finishing. “I guess I can try.”

He didn’t look comfortable at the idea, but Hinata knew that it would be better for Komaeda to stop verbally reinforcing the way he felt about himself. Maybe then, he could eventually aim to work on the root of the problem.

“Thank you,” he said genuinely, but simply, seeing no need to pursue the subject further. That could just result in some sort of conflict, and that was the last thing Hinata needed.

Komaeda was drumming his mechanical hand on his thighs anxiously. Hinata wasn’t sure if he was still thinking about their previous conversation, or if his thoughts were loitering on something else. He realized it was the latter, though, when Komaeda suddenly spoke.

“Before, with Kuzuryuu-kun,” he began, the words coming out slow. He licked his lips, catching the lower one between his teeth and gnawing on it lightly, not enough to break skin. “He talked to me about Pekoyama-san.”

Hinata raised an eyebrow, surprised about this piece of information. Kuzuryuu tended to be pretty touchy when it came to her, for reasons that were obvious to anyone who ever observed the two together. Hinata had approached him about the subject before, once before she woke up and once more recently. He was swiftly dismissed both times, although had more profanity slewed at him the first. He knew not to bring it up anymore, at least not for the moment, so the knowledge that he willingly spoke about her to Komaeda was not one he would have expected.

“Why are you telling me this?” Hinata asked.

Komaeda released his worried lip, which now red around the area he bit. Hinata tried not to stare as the other continued speaking.

“He talked about how he’s trying to make progress with her,” he explained, transfixed on a random spot on the wall behind Hinata, not quite able to meet his eyes. “He said that it’s difficult, because she sees everything in the way that she was taught her whole life.” He paused. “That’s...similar to myself, is it not?”

Hinata blinked. “How so?”

Komaeda glanced at him briefly before lowering his eyes. “You’ve been trying to make progress, just like Kuzuryuu-kun.” It wasn’t a question. He didn’t even wait for Hinata to say anything, or even process his words, before he continued. “Similarly to how he doesn't like being referred to as _‘young master’_ , you dislike the way that I describe myself. You’re both trying your best but...we’re too stubborn to understand.”

Hinata was at a loss for words, but he tried to scramble out some with decent composure. “That’s… I… wow.” _Alright, could have done better_. He tried again “That’s very... insightful of you.”

It was true. Self-awareness was something Komaeda lacked, but it was conceivable that part of that lied in his former youth rather than solely his dementia, although both played a large part in it. No matter the circumstances, it was an astronomical breakthrough as Hinata saw it

He could just barely make out the smile gracing Komaeda’s features from his angle, but it was notably genuine nonetheless. Hinata wondered if anyone else on the island had ever seen that genuine smile, or if it was something saved specifically for him. He wouldn’t even be able to complain if it was the latter, because Komaeda’s smile was surely something to be savored. 

He looked up at Hinata, the smile only slightly faltering when he spoke. “If there was going to be a person to fix someone as fucked up as me, it _would_ be Hinata-kun.”

Hinata felt his mood drop. “Don’t say that, Komaeda,” he said somewhere between a socially acceptable tone and a growl.

“It’s not as if it’s untrue.”

A flicker of anger welded up inside of him. “We’re all fucked up here. We all killed people, or at the very least aided in it.”

“And we both know I was screwed up long before the tragedy.”

“Well,” Hinata snapped. “Maybe I was too, because I allowed that corrupted school to play frankenstein on my brain.”

Komaeda continued to smile gently, eyes trained on his lap, and he finally released a quiet hum of acknowledgement. Hinata felt the outrage diminish as quickly as it came, unable to stay annoyed when Komaeda was showing the beginning signs of, well, _progress_. Of course that road wouldn’t be easy, and of course it wouldn’t be without its setbacks.

“I want to try too...with getting better” Komaeda finally said after what must have been half a minute of silence. He waited even longer before saying, “It’s not like I have much to lose, since you haven’t left me alone either way.”

The words lay in the open between them, and Hinata relayed them through his mind over and over, merely processing. Komaeda didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to. Anything else probably would have been a casually played-off insult towards himself. Hinata knew he would still have to hear more of them for quite a while, but the more prevalent part of him was focused on the fact that Komaeda said he wanted to try, and that he seemed to be serious about it, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

He was overwhelmed with something that he couldn’t quite put into words, but it would best be described as a mixture of nostalgia alongside a gratifying feeling of responsibility, even if that was arrogant of him.

It was that emotion that pushed him to move closer to Komaeda and throw an arm around him, squeezing lightly with his arm in a way that drew the boy closer to him.

The shock was imminent, but Komaeda didn’t pull away. He was as stiff as when he’d been standing in the middle of the room before sitting down. At first, Hinata was scared that he’d crossed a boundary, but then Komaeda spoke and he realized that it was nothing of the sort.

“Is this a hug?” he asked warily.

Hinata almost laughed, but stopped himself short. “A hug would usually involve using both of my arms,” he said, before a solemn thought entered his mind. He stilled, but their position didn’t change. “Komaeda… when was the last time you even had a hug?”

“ _Ha_ ,” Komaeda breathed out. He sounded lighthearted on the surface, but his eyes were glossed over and swimming with the answer.

Hinata realized it was a rather dumb question. He knew Komaeda’s parents died when he was young, and that the boy went through life virtually alone. It wasn’t like the remnants of despair went around giving out physical affection, either.

“Do you remember?” Hinata asked, afraid for the answer that he inevitably got. Komaeda shook his head. 

“I don’t even know if my mom used to. Maybe I was just that unfortunate of a child…” He trailed off.

Hinata’s eyebrows furrowed. He nudged Komaeda’s shoulder with the arm that wasn’t wrapped around him. “I thought you were gonna try not to say stuff like that anymore,” he said, but kept his tone light so that it lacked any sort of accusation.

Komaeda looked genuinely surprised for a moment, before he thought back to his previous words and let out a small _‘oh.’_

“Sorry, Hinata-kun, I-” he cut himself off and began to chew on his lower lip again.

Hinata waited a few moments for Komaeda to continue, but ultimately discerned that he was stopping himself before he said something else bad about himself.

“No, I should be sorry,” Hinata finally replied, unwinding his arm from around the others shoulder. “I didn’t even ask before touching you so suddenly.”

“Oh, no, it didn’t bother me!” Komaeda rushed to clarify. He cradled his fingers around Hinata’s arm before he could completely pull it back. Once he realized what he’d done, though, he jerked his own arms back like he’d been shocked.

Hinata said, “I just assumed…” at the same time as Komaeda mumbled “For Hinata-kun to even consider touching me is an honor…”, and then they both stopped to look each other in the eye when realizing that the other was speaking. Hinata let out an awkward laugh, averting his eyes to a space on the bedpost behind Komaeda. He studied the wooden pattern while collecting his thoughts for what he wanted to say next, but it inevitable still came out awkwardly

“If it, um, doesn’t bother you,” he said, scratching the back of his neck absentmindedly. “Just, uh… let me know if you ever… want to… or anything.”

Hinata wanted to curse his own face for heating up in the way that it did in that moment. All he did was offer someone a _hug_ , but the simple gesture had him feeling the inexplicable urge to pull the sheets from Komaeda’s unmade bed over his face to hide. 

Sure, he wasn’t the most affectionate of people, but he wasn’t usually _terrible_ at things like that. Souda tended to give him hugs almost every day. Sonia did often as well, and Mioda would jump on people for affection any chance she got, similar to a puppy. He’d probably hugged most of the students on this island, and he’d never felt anything close to flustered about it before. Maybe it was because he never actually had to propose it before, for in those instances it was a natural occurrence. But with Komaeda, he almost felt that it was necessary to map out his every intention. He had no clue what the other’s boundaries entailed, and was scared in the back of his mind that he might accidentally breach them.

“Why would I need that from Hinata-kun?” He asked.

“I-I don’t know. For comfort?” Hinata stammered. When he received no response from Komaeda, he trailed his eyes around the room, pointedly looking at anything that wasn’t the man next to him. “It can be...nice.”

“Nice,” Komaeda repeated, face serious. He seemed to be thinking pretty intensely for such a simple topic. It was to be expected, but it made Hinata nervous.

“Yea,” he finally said, unsure of how else to continue the conversation.

“You don’t find the idea repulsive?”

He was taken aback. “Do _you?_ ”

“No,” Komaeda said simply but earnestly. “It’s just difficult to fathom someone willing to be close to me without feeling disgusted.”

Hinata sighed, and brought his eyes to study Komaeda. He looked vulnerable, sitting in what were probably his bed-time clothes with a blanket half-sprawled across his legs. He had his hands in his laps, having placed them there after he uncurled his fingers from Hinata’s arms, and he was busying himself with picking at his nails.

“Just, um,” Hinata stammered, not quite believing the effect that the conversation was having on him, but he was now too set on proving to Komaeda that he _wasn’t_ disgusted to turn back. “Do you mind if I…?”

“You can do whatever you want,” he spared Hinata from having to finish his clearly eloquently-delivered proposal.

Hinata was going to drag it on, to make sure that it was what Komaeda wanted himself, because Hinata was often shit at telling how others felt when it came to things like this, but he knew that Komaeda really meant it. Also, his brain was starting to feel overheated, so acting instead of talking felt like the appropriate course of action.

Putting aside the mantra of _‘how did I get into this mess?’_ that was playing in his head, Hinata turned his body more to face Komaeda and wracked his brain for the least-awkward method to go about what he was about to do. Honestly, there was already a tenseness in the air, so maybe he should just reach out and grab the other, similarly to how he had before, except more affectionately. These things seemed a lot more complicated when you were being prompted into them, as opposed to them happening naturally.

He felt stupid, thinking so in-depth about something so _simple_ , but nothing was ever simple when it came to Komaeda.

“Just-” Hinata began, but didn’t have much to go from there. The fact that the other looked nervous boosted his ego a bit, knowing that even if he was an idiot, Komaeda was in that boat with him. He looked at Hinata expectantly, if not a bit warily.

Not having the capacity to form a proper explanation, he threw caution to the wind as he pulled Komaeda towards him, not reacting when he felt the air leave his lungs, and wrapped both arms lightly around him. 

Komaeda was as stiff as before, barely moving, both hands on the bed to steady himself from when Hinata pulled him over. Their positions were also somewhat awkward, with both of their legs hanging off the bed in the same direction, even though their bodies were turned to face each other. It wasn’t terrible, but it did allow an awkward tension to seep into the air between them.

“I feel like there is a more efficient way to do this,” Komaeda said. Hinata couldn’t tell if it was a taunt or a straightforward piece of commentary with the way he said it so matter-of-factly, but he could almost sense a challenging undertone. Maybe he was imagining it so that he could rationalize his next actions in his mind.

He didn’t say anything as he scooted back further onto the bed, tugging Komaeda along with one arm as he did. He was shocked at how light the other felt, how easy it was to move him around, even though he knew it shouldn’t have surprised him that much considering his weight and Hinata’s new-found strength. Once a safe distance from the edge of the bed, he dragged Komaeda closer to him, until the other got the hint and crawled fully onto the bed next to him.

“Hinata-kun?” He asked curiously.

“I thought it might be...more comfortable this way.” Hinata explained lamely. It sounded more like a question to his own ears. He hoped his lack of confidence wouldn’t scare Komaeda away, even if it was a downright silly thought to have.

He tilted his head, clearly confused, and Hinata gestured stupidly, hoping that he would take the hint, or in this case, the initiative. It seemed to work, albeit slowly, as the other inched closer to him, until they were side by side, similarly to before.

“Like this?” He asked. Hinata groaned.

He placed both of his hands on Komaeda’s waist, marvelling at the size difference only briefly before he started to guide the other’s movements. He suddenly felt really dumb for this, because Komaeda was getting closer and that meant their faces were also getting closer. Hinata felt like his chest was about to explode, but he’d already come so far that he knew turning back would be pointless. If anything, it would only confirm Komaeda’s biases against himself.

Komaeda made a noise, possibly of surprise or Hinata’s name, but he wasn’t too sure as he couldn’t hear much of anything over the pounding in his own ears.

And now Komaeda was on his lap, and Hinata’s hands were still on his waste, shaking slightly. He hoped that went unnoticed. Komaeda was looking at him with widened eyes, and he didn’t like the way his stomach felt, so he used one of his shaking hands to guide Komaeda’s head onto his shoulder, allowing it to rest there. Not having to look at him made the ordeal easier.

Hinata probably had a poor sense of time right about then, but after what may have been ten seconds or multiple full minutes, Komaeda was just barely starting to relax. He realized that his hand was still on the back of his head, but Komaeda wasn’t resisting. His hands were grabbing loosely at Hinata’s shirt. His heart no longer felt like it was going to fly from his chest, but he was still unnervingly aware of the pace in which it beat.

“I’m sorry,” Hinata finally said. “This is probably _really_ weird for you-”

“No!” Komaeda practically squeaked. Hinata clamped his mouth shut. He kept his head on Hinata’s shoulder, facing down as he spoke. His voice was low when he spoke again. “Are you sure you aren’t...” He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to. Hinata could hear the slew of possible words in his head before they even would’ve left Komaeda’s lips. _Bothered? Disgusted? Tempted to kick me out of my own room and throw me onto the streets?_

Hinata swallowed a lump in his throat, pushing some hair back that had fallen onto his face. He prayed to the gods that his voice wouldn’t waiver.

“Nope... I’m perfectly comfortable, so, um, feel free to relax a bit.”

Komaeda let out a breath that he’d clearly been holding in, and Hinata could literally _feel_ a wave of tension release from the other’s body along with that air. He took his hand off Komaeda’s head and wrapped both of his arms around his lower back, being careful not to disturb him too much as he did. His fingers grazed along the back of Komaeda’s spine, causing the white-haired main to shiver and arch into his touch. He scooted even closer to Hinata, until they were almost chest to chest, his face still buried in his shoulder.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Hinata started to feel like he could breathe again. He subconsciously began running his hand up and down along Komaeda’s back in a steady rhythm, and his breath hitched every time Komaeda trembled ever-so-slightly in his arms. If he minded it for any reason, it wasn’t brought to Hinata’s attention, but if anything it seemed that he was enjoying the sensitivity. Hinata tried not to think too hard about it, instead indulging in whatever felt to be the best course of action.

He noticed that Komaeda’s breath was starting to even out. He asked, “You alright there?”

After a moment, he felt the nod against his shoulder. Komaeda slowly lifted his head, rubbing at one of his eyes drowsily. “I’m sorry, Hinata-kun. I almost fell asleep. How _indecent_ of me.”

“That’s not really something you need to apologize for,” Hinata said. He frowned in contemplation, pulling back from the other a bit so that they could look at each other better, but it barely changed their position. He could see the sleepiness on Komaeda’s face, his eyes drooping.

“I’m sure you’re bored with just sitting here, though.”

Hinata shook his head, ignoring the blush that threatened to creep up his neck. “It’s...nice,” he said lamely, echoing the sentiment from before they’d gotten into this whole fiasco, hoping those words were convincing enough.

Komaeda stared straight-forward at his chest, as opposed to looking him in the eye. He was unconsciously twisting his fingers in Hinata’s shirt. He only let out a small _‘mm’'_ in response, leading him to believe that Komaeda was even more tired than he looked. Which made sense, given his state and the things they’d spoken about just earlier that day in the library.

“Say, Komaeda, about your nightmares,” he started quietly. Komaeda’s hands stilled for a moment, but he continued his mindless twiddling seconds later. Hinata took it as a sign to continue. “I remember that the night you spent in my room, you seemed to be a lot more rested in the morning. Why is that?”

He’d thought about it a bit, and had come to a logical conclusion, but he’d rather hear his suspicions confirmed first-hand.

Komaeda shifted slightly in his lap. “Ah, well, this is embarrassing,” he began, as if he wasn’t already straddling another man at that very moment.

“You don’t actually have to explain,” Hinata hurried to say. “But..if you think it’ll help, you can stay in my room whenever you want.”

“I couldn’t _possibly_ ask for something like that.” Komaeda looked panicked. It made Hinata’s own heart rate pick up anxiously.

He brought up a hand to comb through Komaeda’s hair comfortingly before thinking twice about it, wincing bashfully when it caught on knots. Fortunately, though, Komaeda seemed to either not notice or not care. Hinata opted to pet his head lightly instead.

“Hey, hey, calm down,” he coaxed as calmly as he could muster. “I was offering, alright? I wouldn’t offer something like that if I didn’t want to.” Komaeda looked up to Hinata’s face briefly, irresolutely, and he looked back just in time for their eyes to meet before the gaze was averted. “You’re tired now, right?” He asked. “Just go to sleep. I don’t mind. Here-”

He could easily move around with his strength, even while having Komaeda in his lap, but the other still wrapped his own own arms around Hinata’s neck to support himself. Hinata moved them both until his back could comfortably lay against the head of the bed, Komaeda still on top of him in the same position that they’d been in before.

Komaeda’s eyes darted around with uncertainty. He looked down at Hinata’s chest and then trailed his eyes back up, his wrists still latched behind Hinata’s neck, his legs on either side of Hinata’s own. “L-like this? You’re asking me to sleep like this?”

“I mean,” Hinata said, wondering if there was even enough blood in the rest of his body with how much of it was residing in his face. “If you… _want_ to.” He’d certainly looked comfortable with it before.

“It’s eight p.m,” Komaeda pointed out.

“So?” Hinata furrowed his eyebrows. “It doesn’t matter if it’s early. You’re tired, right? So you should rest.”

“You’d get bored just sitting here,” he argued. “I’m restricting your movement, too.”

“I don’t mind, _really_ ,” Hinata said, beginning to grow impatient. He didn’t want to admit that he found the company pleasing, even if that sentiment would have been obvious to anyone that wasn’t too inwardly self-deprecating to tell when others wanted to be around them. Komaeda still looked dubious, and Hinata sighed. “People who get a good night's sleep are more pleasant to be around, so it kind of benefits me too?” he tried.

Komaeda huffed, and Hinata’s mind was so foggy that he thought it looked cute. It appeared that his last words were a success, though, judging by the sigh that was let out.

“Should I turn on a lamp? I don’t have a wide variety of books, but I’m sure you could find something for you to read…”

He leaned over to the nightstand, giving Hinata a clear view of his strained neck and collar bones that he pointedly _did not_ stare at. Inside the top drawer was around a dozen books, all probably hoarded from the library. Just to appease the other, he leaned over himself and grabbed one at random, making sure to keep the man balanced on top of him.

Komaeda reached for the lamp to flick it on, but Hinata made a small noise of protest before he got the chance. “That, uh, isn’t necessary,” He said sheepishly. Komaeda looked at him confusedly, to which Hinata tapped the space next to his red eye. “I can kind of read in the dark. Don’t know why they thought Izuru would need that.”

Upon that admittance, he was suddenly being looked at in fascination. “How come you’ve never mentioned having an ability as astounding as that?”

Hinata grimaced. “I don’t really like to think about it. The surgeries, the abilities, or whatever else. Some of it is necessary, but I like to think I’m the same person that I was before.”

“Well that’s unfortunate,” said Komaeda bluntly. “You wish to be completely average, when you have abilities superior to anyone else in the world.”

He decided to not point out that he could tell Komaeda, deep down, felt the same way about himself that Hinata did. He knew Komaeda longed to be free of his luck, which by extension meant being free of his talent, but bringing that up would surely only cause problems.She, though, seemed to be none the wiser to his arrival, a crackling seering sound filling the room when she poured more oil into one of her hot pans.

“Yea, well,” Hinata waved around the book with one free hand, the other still on Komaeda’s back. “I’ll start reading, so just go to sleep or whatever and stop worrying about me.”

Komaeda blinked and was still for a few moments, as if he completely forgot the whole premise of what they were doing. Once Hinata opened the cover of the book, however, he began to settle himself back onto his chest, ambivalent in his movements, like he was afraid that he’d be thrown off and left to sleep alone if he made the slightest of mistakes. There were no comments made about it.

Hinata found it hard to concentrate on the words in his book when he could feel Komaeda’s head resting against the lower half of his chest, his wild hair reaching far enough to tickle his chin. His mechanical hand was clutching at his shirt, a habit from the other that Hinata picked up on over the past few days. It was like he was grasping for reassurance, and it made Hinata feel similarly reassured when he noticed it happening. His other arm was still looped around Hinata’s back, laying loosely behind him, and he made a point not to lay back too heavily on it, for fear of cutting off the circulation. He wondered if Komaeda could hear his heart beating, since it was already loud enough in his own ears.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Hinata heard Komaeda’s breath evening out again and he slowly but surely felt the other’s grip lessen. It was another sign that he was nodding off to sleep. He slid down even further on Hinata’s chest, to which Hinata carefully readjusted himself, and Komaeda as an extension, so that he was in more of a lying position and neither of them would accidentally strain their necks or wake up the next morning feeling sore.

He only ended up a few chapters into the book before getting bored. It was hard for a lot of things to hold his attention, especially since he could analytically predict the outcome of the entire story just from the first few pages. Besides, reading a murder mystery hit a little too close to home. He half considered rummaging through the nightstand drawer to check what his other options were since he’d originally taken a book at random, but decided not to on the off chance of it waking Komaeda in the process.

He placed the book off to the side, so that it was hopefully out of the way and cringed when he overestimated and it toppled onto the ground. Luckily, the sleeping boy didn’t move an inch. Hinata wouldn’t be surprised if he could sleep through a literal tornado with how exhausted he appeared to be. He was beginning to feel tired himself from sitting in the dark room for a prolonged period of time, and he figured that there was no reason for him to stay awake at that point. He hoped nobody came looking for him at his room for some reason, but it was unlikely that someone would need him that late in the evening.

He drifted off easily, comforted by the feeling of someone on top of him and the loose strands of hair splayed across his neck.

When Hinata woke up the next morning, he immediately noticed the distinct lack of that weight on his chest. He squinted, using a hand to block the morning sunlight from his face as he peered around the interior of Komaeda’s room. He noted that he was indeed alone, but the bathroom light seemed to be on from beyond the shut door on the other side of the room. The curtains had been opened by someone that wasn’t himself, and light poured graciously into the area.

“Komaeda?” He called, but was met with silence. Listening closely, he could hear the sound of running water.

Creases in his skin from his jeans being worn overnight caused Hinata to grimace. He’d have to stop at his own room for clothes before heading to breakfast. He felt that it would be rude to leave without an explanation, even if Komaeda wasn’t the type to take things like that personally, so he busied himself with making the bed in the meantime, his mind groggy and thoughts not wandering too far in his sleep-muddled brain. When he was finally done, he sighed aloud and flopped down on the freshly-made bed.

Less than a minute later, Komaeda emerged from the bathroom with a towel over his shoulders. He was wearing a button-down shirt and a pair of boxers.

“Good morning, Hinata-kun,” he said, attempting to towel-dry his hair. Hinata suppressed a laugh when it made it stick up even more strangely than usual.

“‘Morning… Did you sleep well?” he asked, earning a nod from Komaeda in return. He followed up, “No nightmares?”

“Oh, I did have one, actually,” Komaeda said with a frown, as if he’d rather not touch on the subject. “But… It’s easy to go back to sleep when Hinata-kun is here.”

He still thought that the other looked more well-rested than usual. Getting sleep was a large step in the right direction, even if the nightmares still frequented him. If they were lucky, they would gradually stop happening with time.

“You can sleep in my room tonight then,” Hinata proposed, immediately rushing to add, “If I have company over, it’ll motivate me to straighten up a bit.”

“You’re...very kind for that, Hinata-kun. I feel as if I’m taking advantage of your hospitality.”

“No, it’s really not like that, I, uh, enjoy the company,” he said sheepishly. Komaeda just stared at him after he spoke. It was an awkward few seconds, and then Hinata coughed to clear this throat in addition to breaking eye contact. “I think I’ll go back to my room now, though.”

“Of course… sleeping in those clothes must have been uncomfortable,” Komaeda remarked, a slightly guilty expression jumbled on his features.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Hinata assured. “I didn’t want to risk waking you.” he felt himself growing hotter as memories from the night before flooded his brain. Komaeda pursed his lips, seemingly stuck in his own thoughts as he continued to run the towel over his damp hair, ignoring as it only continued to become messier from his endeavors.

“I guess I’ll see you later then, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said as a means of farewell, but there was an edge to his voice that made his statement sound more like a question, as if he still held onto the lingering expectation that Hinata would suddenly change his mind and leave him hanging after disappearing out of his sight.

In lieu of words, he waved a little awkwardly as his response before making his way towards the front door. He indiscreetly peered out the window to make sure nobody was around before exiting the cottage, not wanting to even imagine the outcome if someone like Souda was to see him leaving Komaeda’s room first thing in the morning.

He spent the next half an hour in his room. He stripped his jeans almost as soon as he was past the door and rubbed at his sore skin. He took a quick shower and threw on comfortable clothes to contrast what he’d fallen asleep in the night before. He spent more time than usual on his hair, unconsciously putting more effort into the way he looked. By the time he was done, he’d finally worked up an appetite.

He was surprised to see Komaeda sitting near the pool while on his way to the restaurant. The boy was curled up on a lounge chair and his nose was buried in the same book from the night before, his hair almost blindingly light in the morning sun.

“Make sure to put on some sunscreen,” he commented, approaching the man casually.

He looked up from his book, shielding his eyes and scrunching his nose. He opened his mouth to respond, but anything he might’ve been about to say was drowned out by a different voice.

“Hey, there you are! Nice timing.”

Koizumi walked up right to him. Saionji trailed behind her, yawning and looking at both men with irritation, but she said nothing.

“Good morning, Koizumi-san,” Komaeda greeted. 

She smiled at him politely, albeit a bit cautiously, before turning her attention back to Hinata without a proper acknowledgement. She asked, “Do you remember taking my picture before?”

It took him a moment to realize that she was talking about a moment that happened between them in the program, when he used Koizumi’s camera to take a picture of her at her own request. He was slightly surprised, if not a little flattered, that the memory was prominent enough that she still recalled it despite her fragmented memory.

“Yea, I think I know what you’re talking about. What of it?”

“Well,” She put a finger on her lip in thought. “That picture doesn’t actually exist, so I need you to take another for me.”

“Now?” he asked. He could feel his stomach rumble in protest.

To his dismay, she nodded enthusiastically. “I’m almost done with decorating the restaurant, but there aren't any photos of me to hang up since I've always been the one behind the camera.”

“Why do I have to be the one to take it? Ask Saionji or something.”

The girl in mention stuck out her tongue, a gesture that just looked silly now that she was clearly a woman in her twenties. “Of course we’ve tried that, idiot,” she sneered. “It always turns out looking dumb.”

“I wouldn’t put it like that,” Koizumi corrected nicely, putting a hand on the back of Saionji’s head affectionately. “She doesn’t really have the patience for it, so she moves around and the pictures come out shaky.” 

Saionji whined quietly, clearly unhappy with Koizumi’s admittance. Hinata suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “I actually need to go get breakfast…”

“Oh, great idea!” the girl exclaimed. “We can take it inside. The lighting on the balcony up there is perfect.”

He sighed, but ultimately decided that a single snapshot wasn’t worth the fight, especially if Koizumi wasn’t going to drag him all the way to the beach or somewhere else for it.

“I’ll wait here, so I don’t have to worry about seeing Hanamura’s ugly face,” Saionji snickered, slipping away from Koizumi’s grasp. She moved to sit by the edge of the pool. “Bring me back some juice, please!”

Koizumi chuckled fondly, and Hinata wondered how she found that kind of behavior to be endearing. He glanced back to Komaeda before he left with her. He was surveying the situation silently and Hinata realized that sometimes, your affection for someone that others find distasteful can’t always be explained.

When the two departed, it was almost silent outside, save for the sounds of a few birds and the wind on the surrounding trees. They didn’t have the chemicals to keep up with the pool, so it was kind of gross and more like a contained lake if you paid close attention to it. Saionji ran one of her bare feet across the top of the water absentmindedly, surprisingly making no move to leave the area.

After at least a full minute passed, Komaeda put his book to the side and remarked, “You and Koizumi-san seem close.”

The dancer whipped her head back to face him, a scowl on her face. She looked as if she couldn’t believe Komaeda had the nerve to speak to her, despite sitting at a distance where they could easily converse. “What’s it to you? She’s my friend, dumbass.”

Komaeda smirked, showing nothing outwardly that would imply he was offended by Saionji’s rude demeanor. “Oh, nothing, just an observation. You shouldn’t pay someone like me any mind.”

She narrowed her eyes and grumbled. “You’re the one that talked to me first, weirdo.”

He heard her, but only responded with one of his typical carefree smiles before falling silent once again. Saionji continued to glare at him even once he was back to reading, dissatisfied with how their interaction left off. After some time of not getting the rise out of him that she so desired, she groaned aloud and pulled herself to a standing position. The man finally raised his gaze back to meet her, eyebrows raised.

“Saionji-san?” he asked innocently.

“Your hair is ugly,” she retorted bluntly.

“I’m sure that it’s quite unsightly. Would you like for me to leave?”

Instead of taking up the offer, or even resorting to spitting more insults Komaeda’s way, Saionji mumbled to herself as she fiddled with her own hair. Komaeda tilted his head to the side, unsure of what she was doing, but his eyes widened in shock when she finally pulled out a small, black hair tie. She threw it unceremoniously towards the chair he was sitting in, and it landed conveniently on his lap.

“It makes me itch just looking at it,” she said, scrunching her nose as if to demonstrate just how icky Komaeda’s hair made her feel. “Not like seeing your face is a much better alternative, but we all have to make sacrifices.”

“You want me to...tie my hair up?” He asked, staring confusedly at the item in question. It laid unmoving in his lap.

“Are you stupid?” She simply replied. Komaeda didn’t respond, feeling like he wasn’t supposed to. Saionji turned back around and walked around the pool’s edge, dipping her feet in the water every-so-often while she kept balance. Her moves were elegant, befitting of someone with the title ‘Ultimate Traditional Dancer.’

He eventually tore his eyes away from here and busied himself with the task at hand, attempting to capture as much of his hair in a single fist as he could, but found it to be more difficult than he originally presumed. Pieces kept flying loose from his grip, sticking out at random places. He tried using his other hand to smooth it over, but struggled to use the tie to bring all of the pieces of hair together. The end result was surely half assed, as he could feel bumps of hair sticking up all over his hair where it hadn’t been properly pulled back into the tie. He’d probably feel even stupider if he had a mirror to see his poor handiwork. Perhaps he could borrow a brush from Hinata and try again later.

Unfortunately, Saionji completed her rounds around the pool and came to inconspicuously inspect Komaeda’s handiwork. When she saw him, she burst into a fit of giggles.

“You’re so incompetant!” She yelled with glee, but her expression quickly turned sour. She then rolled her eyes. “This is even worse to look at than before! Hold on-”

The next moment, Komaeda felt a sharp pain in the back of his head as Saionji yanked the hair tie out. He thought that would be the end of it, but was sorely mistaken. She began to gather up his hair in her own hands. She moved to be closer behind him, to get a better angle, but Komaeda briefly saw her tongue stuck out slightly in concentration as she worked.

“S-Saionji-san?” He stuttered out in surprise. She ignored him.

“Your hair is so _greasy_.” She continued her task despite the disgust in her tone. “Stay still.”

“I just washed it,” he stated. Nonetheless, he held himself in place obediently, not commenting about how she was tugging a little too harshly on his hair. Who was he to question her methods? He’d been through much worse pain relatively unscathed, after all. 

“This is such a pain... Maybe I’ll just shave it all off when you’re asleep,” she snickered.

“Ha ha… that _would_ be awfully unfortunate.”

He looked a little nervous, but Saionji paid him no mind, jerking his hair around ruthlessly to her heart’s content. Her own hair was still up in a high ponytail, as she apparently used more than one tie to keep it up. It made sense, given how thick her hair was. Fortunately, she wasn’t still wearing pigtails at her age. She’d switched it up for a more sophisticated look.

“Anyways,” Saionji started confidently. “Since you asked about me and Mahiru, it’s only fair if I get to ask you something in return.”

Komaeda furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m sure nothing I have to say could be of interest to you.”

“Listen to me first, you dimwit.” She paused to make sure Komaeda had no other useless interjections before continuing. “You have a thing for Hinata, right?”

“A...thing?”

“You know, you wanna kiss him or something else gay like that.”

Komaeda stiffened where he was sitting, a grimace formed on his features, though Saionji may have taken that as a response to her pulling particularly hard on a strand of hair. 

“Hinata-kun is… very important to me,” he finally responded.

Saionji scoffed at his words, clearly annoyed that Komaeda hadn’t divulged the entire truth to her.

“He might be stupid and have an ugly haircut,” she began, and Komaeda might have even felt the need to defend Hinata if it wasn’t Saionji he was dealing with. He couldn’t see her at that moment, but he could tell that she was really thinking about her next words. “But he also... is kind sometimes, and he deserves to be happy.”

She sighed when she finished speaking, the generous words that were out of character for her seemingly having taken a toll.

“Don’t get me wrong, Saionji-san, because I agree with your sentiment from the bottom of my heart, but…” Komaeda paused. “Why are you talking to someone like me about this?”

He could almost hear her rolling her eyes. “You’re stupider than you look if you haven’t at least figured _that_ out yet.”

“Forgive me, Saionji-san, of course I wouldn’t be able to understand....”

He felt her shrug behind him. “Forget it,” she said. “Figure it out on your own.”

Her hands stilled only momentarily in thought before she went back to working vigorously at his hair, and Komaeda kept his mouth shut in return. His scalp was starting to hurt from all of her pulling. He wondered if Hinata would come outside at any moment and end the mess that had been started by the two of them, but knew he couldn’t count on it with his luck.

When Saionji finally seemed satisfied, she took a step back to admire her handiwork, crossing her arms as she came back into Komaeda’s visible point of view.

“Jeez! That took _forever!_ ” she complained. “When’s the last time you even used a hair brush?”

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re trying to humiliate me?” retorted Komaeda, moving his hands up to his hair and noticing the lack of bumps, contrary to when he’d tried putting it up on his own. “Of course, if that is what you’re attempting, I’m sure it doesn’t matter what I think...”

“Stop being such a pessimist before I bop you on the head, and don’t _ruin my work!_ ” She swatted his hand away from his head. “I’ll puke if you mess it up and I have to touch you again.”

“I’m honored you took the time to use your skills on…” He paused, veering his own words before he could pull out a word like _'scum'_ or _'trash'_. “...on me,” he finished lamely. He reached over to pick his book up once again.

“Hey!” Saionji whined. “Don’t you gonna go see how great of a job I did? You look, like, at least fifty times better than usual and it’s all thanks to me!”

“No, but thank you,” Komaeda replied politely. “I think I’ll finish this chapter of my book first.”

Saionji had a small pout playing on her features that would probably allow her to get her way if Koizumi was the one she was trying to convince. Komaeda, though, didn’t even notice.

“Fine!” she huffed. “I need to go wash my hands, anyways. See you later, loser!”

Komaeda simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, as the woman skipped off towards her own cottage and disappeared from sight.

Hinata wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at (or rather _why_ he was looking at it) when he and Koizumi returned to the pool area not even a half hour after they’d left in the first place.

“Komaeda?” he asked hesitantly.

“Is that one of Hiyoko’s hair ties?” Koizumi butted in, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Komaeda looked up from his book, reaching a hand to the back of his head to grasp his ponytail with metal fingers. He said in simple terms, “She lent it to me.”

Koizumi’s features softened, a switch from dubiousness to confusion. “That’s a little...strange.”

Komaeda laughed softly. “Apparently my hair down is too ill-favored for an ultimate like her to even look at.”

“Well,” Koizumi placed a finger on her thin in thought. She brought her gaze onto Komaeda once again. “That does sound like her...I don’t think she meant it quite like that, necessarily.”

“I’m sure I look ridiculous,” the man began, pulling at a loose strand of hair that hadn’t made it into the ponytail. “I would have taken it out, but… Saionji-san seemed adamant that I not. She said I look considerably better, but she was probably lying.”

Hinata suddenly heard the snap of a camera next to him. Komaeda jolted in surprise. “That makes fifteen,” Koizumi cheered, letting her camera fall back to her side where it was held in place by the strap. “Now the restaurant will have photos of all of us in it.”

Komaeda’s eyes widened. “Of me, too?”

“Yup! And no arguing. Once I take a picture, it’s final.” Hinata noticed that she had a hint of anxiety prevalent in her mannerisms when speaking to Komaeda, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been in the past.

“Ah, you should have allowed me to take the tie out, then…”

Koizumi shook her head with a smile. “I think it actually kind of suits you. Wouldn’t you agree, Hinata?”

“Huh?” He asked, disoriented. He hadn’t even realized he’d been staring at Komaeda until the two people he was with were suddenly looking to him for an answer.

The photographer slapped him on the shoulder, just enough to snap him back to the present. “Are you even listening to me? His hair, Hinata. I said that it looks nice.”

“Oh,” Hinata said sheepishly. “Yea...it probably...is easier to read this way?” He almost slapped _himself_ over his lame response.

“Now that you mention it, it is easier to read when my hair is out of my face. I didn’t even think of that, Hinata-kun.” He smiled brightly up at him, and Hinata noticed that the temperature quickly picked up. Damn that island heat.

That evening after dinner, Hinata went to Komaeda’s apartment to get him. He spent the afternoon tidying up, but that didn’t stop Komaeda from using one of his old shirts to dust every inch of his bedroom. Eventually he just let him instead of insisting “you don’t have to” over and over, because he knew it was no use. Komaeda felt indebted to him, and he was staying in Hinata’s room, after all, so it wasn’t as if he was taking advantage of the other’s willingness.

Komaeda seemed exhausted when he finished the job, and Hinata fondly watched as the other crawled into his bed and passed out within what seemed seconds, the lights still on. It wasn’t even eleven P.M, but Hinata knew that he could use the sleep. 

He ended up following shortly after, when it was close to midnight, and couldn’t shake off the way that he felt _disappointed_ by the distance between him and Komaeda, since they were on opposite sides of the bed. His mind continued to remember what it felt like to have the other in his arms, just the night before, and couldn’t help but miss it. He shoved his face in his pillow to distract himself before eventually lulling to sleep.

They again spent the next evening together, this time reading from the book they’d started at the library days ago, their pace the same as before. Hinata wasn’t sure when exactly Komaeda fell asleep, but he eventually realized that the head resting on his shoulder was no longer adjusting itself periodically, and glanced over to prove that the man had, indeed, fallen asleep on him.

He adjusted their positions so that they were lying, and he could feel Komaeda’s body heat from how close they were. He turned over so that they were facing opposite directions.

The surreality of the situation kicked in when Hinata went to do his laundry and realized that there were a considerable amount of clothes that weren’t his amongst the load. Instead of taking them back to Komaeda’s room, he washed them and set aside his top drawer for any of the other’s belongings.

On the fourth night, it was Komaeda who showed up at his doorstep for the first time as opposed to Hinata fetching him. He was shocked when he heard the knock on his door, especially when seeing who was on the other side. Komaeda looked like he expected to be turned away, but Hinata only smiled reassuringly as he opened the door wider.

They ended up playing a game of chess, reasoning that it was a game that relied too heavily on skill for their luck to interfere.

Komaeda won, and Hinata blamed his loss on how distracting he was was with braided hair. "Mioda-san," he’d explained before Hinata even had the chance to properly ask. "I guess there’s not many people on the island that will let her mess with their hair. But I have to admit, I’m starting to feel like a dress-up doll."

Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) for him, Komaeda took out his hair tie once the game was over. He’d taken to pulling back his hair since Hinata made the comment about reading, although they never looked as neat like the first time Saionji did it herself. For that reason, he only sometimes wore his hair up out of the cottage, usually opting to do it when he was alone or only with Hinata.

“It’s almost midnight,” he remarked just as Komaeda was placing the tie on the nightstand. “You’re probably tired, right?”

He nodded. “Um, Hinata-kun?”

He stopped his movements just as he turned off the lamp, the darkness cloaking them both. Hinata withdrew his arm back, so as to not be hovering over Komaeda, able to make out his features easily in the dark.

“Sorry, did you need the light back on?” He quietly asked.

Komaeda shook his head. “I was actually going to ask if I could…” He swallowed suddenly, his words trailing off.

“What is it?”

Komaeda laughed. “It’s such an horribly selfish request, actually.”

Hinata sighed at his self-deprecating tone. “Out with it, Komaeda.” He hoped it didn’t come across as harsh as it sounded to his own ears. Komaeda, fortunately, seemed unphased.

“I’m sure this will only be an inconvenience, but do you mind if I...like the other night?” He didn’t even give Hinata a chance to register the words before he continued on one of his ramblings. “Ah, but you already do so much for me, so for me to ask for _anything_ … it fills me with self-loathing. And I know sharing a bed with me for multiple days now must be utterly repulsive-”

He was still talking, but Hinata tuned him out abruptly. “Hey,” he said after only a moment, putting a hand on Komaeda’s shoulder. His eyes widened slightly as he snapped out of it. Hinata noticed a slight change in the way Komaeda spoke about himself since they spoke days ago, but he also saw how easy it was for the other to slip back into that toxic way of thinking.

“Sorry, Hinata-kun.”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” He sighed in return. “Don’t worry about asking. The worst thing I can do is say no.” 

Komaeda didn’t look exceptionally comforted by his words. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said nonetheless.

“The other night,” Hinata mumbled to himself. His cheeks heated up when he came to his conclusion. “Oh, you mean-”

“You were embracing me,” Komaeda replied, suddenly able to speak now that he wasn’t leading the conversation.

He tried to act nonchalant, despite the rising temperature of the room. “Jeez, Komaeda, you should have just said that. Didn’t I tell you we could do that whenever you want?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“Forget it,” he interjected. “Just come here.”

They ended up with Hinata’s arm wrapped loosely around Komaeda’s middle, the latter facing away from him. His own arms were pulled up towards his chest, his real hand grabbing loosely at Hinata’s arm.

Just as he was getting comfortable and the awkward tension was relieving, Komaeda turned over in his arms. Hinata opened his eyes and looked down slightly to see him better. His eyes were droopy, slightly clouded over with exhaustion and he leaned further into his chest so that they could no longer make eye contact.

“Hinata-kun smells nice,” he mumbled, as if he didn’t even realize what he was saying. It sent shocks of electricity down Hinata’s spine.

“You can’t just say shit like that,” he whispered back, although it sounded a little harsh to his ears. It didn’t matter either way though, because Komaeda seemed to be beyond the point of hearing him. Hinata exhaled when he realized that the other was already asleep. Hinata’s mind wanted to ask him how he’d gotten into such a position, such a predicament, and how it had become the norm, but he was honestly too tired to give it too much of a thought.

With a yawn and a pet to the back of Komaeda’s head, he allowed his hands to settle back around his waist and slowly drifted off.

On the fifth night, neither of them commented when Komaeda was tugged into the bed to cuddle before he could even make it past the door frame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yea. I guess we could say the romantic implications got a little stronger in this chapter...i indulged a bit.
> 
> Fun fact: the scene with Hiyoko tying up Komaeda's hair is a cute little headcanon I've had for a while, and wanting to write out a scenario for it is what brought this fic to life. Like fr...this whole ass thing started because I wanted Komaeda in a ponytail...everyone say thank you Hiyoko.
> 
> anywho, I start school this week :( I'm gonna try to have chapter 5 up in 2 weeks but if it runs a little over sorry about that, I can't predict how much time I'll have to write and edit. Either way, it'll be up soon:)) thank you guys so much for reading (blah blah the usual shtick we don't need to hear me ramble but seriously you guys make my day)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my goodness, a million apologies. school is kicking my ass way more than I thought it would. sorry if I made any of you guys think I abandoned this fic, I honestly work on it every couple of days but only had enough time for a few hundred words at once so it took foreverrrr to get it all together and edited.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for your patience! This fic is my baby and a huge comfort for me so it really means the world that other people like it as well<3

“Hinata-kun, are you sure about this?”

Hinata paused with his hand on the doorknob just before he twisted it, looking back over his shoulders to the man behind him. The voices from his friends in the restaurant on the other side carried through, but he tuned them out to focus on Komaeda’s question.

“It’s just dinner, Komaeda.”

He didn’t look convinced, rocking back and forth lightly on his heels, his grip on the railing tight so that he wouldn’t accidentally topple down the stairs. Hinata still felt a wave of anxiety looking at him, especially with his luck in consideration. Without thinking, he reached out to steady the other’s movements by placing a hand on his shoulder.

Komaeda didn’t say anything else, signifying that he was caving, his former words one last shot at getting out of having dinner with the rest of his old classmates. Hinata almost felt guilty, but he knew it needed to happen sooner or later. Besides, he could tell that Komaeda longed for their company, even if the other would vehemently deny it.

When the two of them finally entered the restaurant, it took the occupants some time to take notice of their arrival. They were halfway over to the table where everyone was seated before Nidai finally took notice of them, bellowing out a greeting and waving enthusiastically. At that point, everyone else followed Nidai’s gaze until they settled on Hinata, then Komaeda, many of them exchanging nervous glances that they tried to cover up with polite greetings. 

“Hey, Hajime,” Souda laughed airily as they approached. “You didn’t tell us you were bringing a friend.”

Hinata took a seat next to him, for it was the only area of the table where there were two unoccupied chairs. Komaeda silently sat next to him with only slight hesitance, Tanaka on his other side.

“Should I have had to?” Hinata countered, stunning Souda, and the rest of the table by association, into silence. He really didn’t want to come off rude, but sometimes that cold inner voice popped out when he was simply tired of dealing with things. “Besides, I told Sonia he was coming. Is she here?”

A glance around the room showed that she was nowhere to be seen, although off the top of his head he couldn’t note if anyone else was missing. There was an empty seat next to Tanaka that he could only assume belonged to her. He also noted that there were red and black cards scattered around the table.

“She’s in the kitchen,” The Imposter explained. “Hanamura wasn’t feeling well earlier today, so she’s preparing dinner.”

“I assumed a princess wouldn’t know how to cook, but apparently she was trained to from a young age,” said Koizumi, clearly impressed. Hinata had to admit that he was feeling similarly himself.

The change of topic relieved some of the tension in the air, but Hinata was still slightly on edge. He understood why everyone was anxious to have Komaeda around. They still weren’t used to him, and were probably glad that Hinata was around to keep him out of everyone’s hair while still keeping him in check. 

“Shouldn’t anyone go help her?” he asked.

Tsumiki leaned over to answer from where she sat on the other side of the table, next to Mioda. “Tanaka actually went to help, b-but…” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I-I think he set something on fire...”

As if he had superhuman ears, which Hinata was sure he would very well claim to be true, Tanaka perked up and shot daggers in Tsumiki’s direction. She instantly flinched before he even spoke. “How am I culpable for those _mortal_ appliances failing to withhold my powers?”

Tsumiki cowered back and covered her face protectively with her arms, her elbows sticking out. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it!”

“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Koizumi rushed to comfort before glaring at Tanaka, a stare that was much more sinister than his own. “You put a paper plate on a gas stove! Talk about carelessness.”

“Ibuki had to open the windows because of all the smoke in here!” she piped up. Tanaka crossed his arms with a ‘hmph’ noise and looked away, but Mioda continued speaking. “After that, Sonia said we shouldn’t interrupt her anymore...”

“You should probably leave it up to her. I’m sure Miss Sonia’s more than capable!” Kazuichi shot a toothy grin and a thumbs up in Sonia’s honor.

“I might go check up on it in a bit, but I guess I’ll leave it alone for the time being,” Hinata said. Besides, he wanted to make sure Komaeda was alright, even if he didn’t say that part out loud. “Anyways, were you guys playing cards or something?”

He gestured to the scattered cards on the table that he noticed before, but upon further inspection he could see that they weren’t exactly placed randomly, but rather like there were different piles for each player of a game.

“Oh yea, I brought these over from the market since dinner was gonna be a little late,” Koizumi said. “Me, Saionji, Mioda, and Souda were playing. Did you guys want to join?”

Hinata shrugged. “Why not?”

“I’ll pass,” Komaeda said dismissively. Hinata was sure no one missed the sighs of relief that transpired, except for Mioda, apparently, who seemed to be the only one playing besides Hinata that wasn’t on the fence about Komaeda joining.

“Oh, come on! That’s no fun!” she pouted. “The more the merrier!”

“Yea, Komaeda…” Koizumi smiled politely despite her obvious hesitance. “We really don’t mind.”

He seemed taken aback, and Hinata nudged his side with his elbow lightly, hoping that it conveyed some sort of support but realizing that it probably came off more like a warning. He moved to comfortingly rub his arm instead, feeling the way he slightly leaned into him, most likely unconsciously.

“I guess one game won’t hurt,” Komaeda finally conceded.

The game was simple enough, as it was one he’d played a billion times when he was a kid. Komaeda seemed like he’d never heard of it, probably because he had no one to play with when he was growing up, but he picked up on how to play without so much as an explanation from anyone about the rules.

They went around counter-clockwise, but soon enough it was clockwise when Souda played a reverse card. Saionji proceeded to use skips on her next three turns, ensuring that Souda never even got to play again before the game was over. He grumbled frustratingly each time.

With six players, it should have taken a fairly long time, but it couldn’t have been more than three minutes before Komaeda played the final card in his hand.

“Oh, does that mean I won?” he asked.

“How did you manage to have every single ‘draw four’ card in your own hand?” Mioda asked in awe. Komaeda just shrugged instead of giving the obvious answer.

Souda groaned, throwing down his barely-played cards in defeat. “It’s that stupid luck of his! He’s practically cheating!”

“But Doesn’t Hajime have luck too?” Mioda asked confusedly, her eyes crossed. “How come he doesn’t have an unfair advantage?”

“I can turn it off,” Hinata explained nonchalantly, not wanting to dwell on the subject for long. “Perks of being a science experiment, I guess.”

“My apologies,” Komaeda said. “I’ve never played this game before, but it seems that it relies almost entirely on luck...you guys can play without me next round.”

Hinata frowned. “I don’t want to exclude you.”

“It’s really no big deal, Hinata-kun…”

“Yea, Hajime, why don’t you listen to him?” Souda asked, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically. “It’s no fair if he just wins by default every time.”

Saionji suddenly huffed from across the table, drawing attention to her. “Sounds like you’re just a sore loser to me,” she said, her spiteful words clearly directed to souda

“Hiyoko!” admonished Koizumi.

“What? Am I wrong?” she asked, but continued before anyone had a chance to respond. “Why don’t we just play a different game?”

Souda narrowed his eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re defending the dude.”

She rolled her eyes, but looked a little fronted by the accusation. She proceeded to defend herself. “Don’t get it all twisted. I just hate sore losers. Imagine if we had a dancing contest and everyone got mad that I won, just because it’s my talent? If you can’t accept the challenge, you don’t even deserve a chance at winning.”

“Hiyoko’s right,” Mioda agreed suddenly, physically jumping up in her chair. “What other games did you guys bring?”

“We brought plenty!” Saionji ducked under the table and pulled out a box that was filled with different decks of cards and board games. She began pulling them out one by one to showcase the different options.

“That one won’t work, he’ll just guess the right answer,” Koizumi said to herself, putting one game back in the box. “Neither will this one, or this one- Jeez, i never realized how much board games relied on luck.”

Souda sighed impatiently. “This seems pointless. By the time we pick a game, it’ll be too late to even play!”

“Why don’t you shut your ugly trap and stop complaining?” Saionji snapped. Her rude demeanor quickly returned playful when Koizumi pulled out a certain box, and she quickly grabbed it from the red-haired girl’s hands. “Oooh, I got it! We can play this!”

She held up the box cheerfully, and Hinata raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly to read what it said. “ _You like_ Monopoly?” he asked. It wasn’t the type of game he’d expect her to pick.

“I’m a woman of many talents,” she responded confidently, already opening up the game before getting a word of approval from anyone else. Koizumi hastily put the other games back under the table where they’d come from, easily going along with what Saionji wanted.

“Hold on, won’t Komaeda just land on all the best spaces?” Souda asked. “This doesn’t seem to fix our problem.”

Saionji glared at Souda like she could see into his brain and pick out his singular functioning brain cell. “That’s why we’re making him the banker, _duh_.”

Souda murmured back, “Well I dunno how you expected _me_ to know that.”

“Banker?” Komaeda interjected. “Sorry, I’ve never played this game before either.”

“The banker takes care of all the cards and hands out everyone’s money,” Hinata explained, somewhat unsure of how Komaeda would react to the idea. “You’re not exactly a player, but I guess it’s better than nothing?”

“So I’m basically a helper?” he asked. For lack of a better explanation, Hinata nodded. “I guess that’s suitable for me.”

“Exactly! I’m so smart like that, you know!” Saionji pulled out the property cards and placed them in front of Komaeda. “Also, I call dibs on the dog.”

“I like to play as the dog!” Souda whined, but Saionji snatched up the piece quickly with a grin, placing it on the GO spot.

“What piece do you want, Hinata?” Koizumi asked. “I usually like the thimble, so you could be the boat, or the hat, or the-”

“I..think I’ll pass this game,” Hinata said. “I need to go get a glass of water.”

Koizumi frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want us to wait ‘til you’re back?”

Hinata shook his head. “Nah, you guys go ahead. I’m gonna make sure Sonia doesn’t need anything while I’m back there. I’ll just help Komaeda with his banker stuff when I come back.”

The prospect of Komaeda being left alone without Hinata to keep him in line hung over everyone’s heads, but if none of them were going to bring it up, neither was he. He knew he was the only one in the room who trusted Komaeda.

“Alright, that’s fine,” Koizumi responded, turning her attention back to Souda. “Do you want the hat or the shoe?”

“Hey, I’ll be back in a few,” Hinata mumbled quietly. “Don’t burn anything down while I’m gone.”

Komaeda looked up from sorting multi-colored money. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “No promises, Hinata-kun.”

It was clearly lighthearted, and Hinata rolled his eyes at the playfulness before finally leaving the area.

The first thing Hinata noticed when he entered the kitchen was a thin layer of smoke that was all but entirely dissipated. He assumed it must have been from the apparent fiasco caused by Tanaka earlier, and did his best to avoid coughing. Sonia was at the stove, moving to throw seasonings across multiple dishes while silently humming to herself. A fan blew moderately throughout the room, but he could still hear her over that. She had a pretty voice, exactly what he would expect from her.

As he said he would, Hinata grabbed a glass from the nearest cabinet and filled it up at the sink. Sonia appeared to be none the wiser of his arrival, her back still to him while she cooked. A crackling sizzle filled the room when she poured more oil onto one of her hot pans.

“”You need any help there?” Hinata asked when her hands were off the stove and busy with what looked to be kneading dough. He didn’t want to risk startling her at the worst time.

“Oh, Hinata!” She turned, a grin on her face despite how tired she seemed from the work. He could see even from across the kitchen that she had flour in her hair and on her face, particularly on her nose. He knew it was a sight Souda would kill to see. “I really appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”

“It’s a lot of work to cook for a group of our size,” Hinata replied. “Are you sure I can’t do anything? I’ll do my best not to get in the way.”

Sonia pondered for a moment before relenting. “Well, I guess if you really want to, you could help knead this dough. I need to get it in the oven before the main course is out so that it’s ready in time for dessert.”

“Desert?” Hinata repeated, surprised that she was going to such lengths. He placed his glass down, washing his hands at the sink thoroughly before moving to stand next to Sonia, who slid the cutting board with the dough closer to him. “What are you cooking, exactly?”

“It’s a surprise!” She excitedly said with a finger on her lips. Hinata could easily peer around her shoulder to see fried vegetables and a pot of rice on the stove. “When I was younger, I would sometimes have to prepare a meal for all our castle staff.” She spoke fondly while stirring the food on the stove.

“Why would a princess have to cook for her workers?”

“It was a tradition,” she explained. “After all, they always did so much for us, so once a year the royal family would cook a meal for them in return.”

“That’s pretty interesting,” Hinata said, and he meant it. He couldn’t imagine how strong Sonia had to be to talk about her home country as if it wasn’t the core of her trauma. After all, she surely blamed herself for its destruction. If he commented about that, though, he’s sure that she would just smile and talk it off, as if she was already mentally past it, but he would see the sadness in her eyes.

As if sensing where his mind was going, Sonia changed the subject. “How are things with Komaeda?”

Hinata stilled only briefly before continuing to knead the dough. “They’re… good,” he said honestly, breathing out heavily with his words.

“I’m so glad.”

“He’s out there right now.” Hinata nodded towards the door. “They’re playing games.”

Her eyes lit up, her hands clasping together. “That’s wonderful! He’ll get to taste my cooking when it's fresh!”

“I’m sure he’ll feel honored.”

Sonia turned a knob on the stove to a lower setting, covering the pan she’d been stirring and she began to get out serving plates. “You guys have been getting along really well recently, right?”

“I guess you could say that,” Hinata dropped the dough, feeling like it was kneaded enough. Also, his fingers were beginning to cramp. “He’s actually been...staying with me recently.”

It wasn’t something he’d mentioned to anyone else. Unless someone had seen him and Komaeda coming out of each other's rooms every morning, which no one had to his knowledge, nobody knew about it. It wasn’t that Hinata felt ashamed. At least, he didn’t think he did, but there wasn’t really a reason to bring it up, and he didn’t want anyone to get any weird ideas. To him, it was completely normal, so he hoped Sonia could see it that way as well.

“Oh?” Sonia only sounded slightly surprised. “For how long has that been going on?”

“A little over a week now?” he estimated. “Komaeda has nightmares, and he feels better when he doesn’t have to sleep alone.”

“You guys share a bed?” Sonia asked, her eyebrows halfway up her forehead as she set up dinner on the serving plates.

“Well, I, I mean-” Hinata looked up at the ceiling, staring at the red light on the smoke detector like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He knew he’d still be seeing that light when he blinked later. “Yea, it’s not that weird, is it?”

Sonia laughed lightly. “Nope, not at all.” She put down the food and looked at him. “Can I ask you something, Hinata?”

“Ask me what?” He was kind of hoping that she was planning to change the subject, but that was unfortunately not the case.

“Do you think you might like Komaeda romantically?”

Hinata froze on the spot, feeling a static shoot up his spine and settling at his head to make it feel tingly from the unexpected question. “I-uh-” he sputtered, not quite sure that his brain was even processing the question. Had he even heard her right? That couldn’t be the case.

Sonia could tell how taken off guard he was and quickly hurried to de-escalate the situation. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep.”

Hinata paced the room, allowing himself a long sip of water and clearing his throat before he spoke. “It’s alright. I guess I just wasn’t expecting to hear something like that.”

“It's not really that inconceivable, is it?” She asked, looking like she was talking about the weather with how casual she was about the whole thing.

“Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

She rolled her eyes, something he’d never seen Sonia do before. It was lighthearted, as she smiled at him almost sadly, as if he was the only one between then who wasn’t understanding something obvious. Hinata bit on his lower lip in response.

“It’s alright, you know, if you like boys.”

Hinata paused for a moment, letting the words hang in the air between them. “What?” he finally said when he opened his mouth.

“As a matter of fact, I actually like girls more than boys.”

“Huh? But I thought you and Tanaka-”

Sonia actually laughed at that, and Hinata promptly shut his mouth. “I like girls more, not exclusively,” she explained to him.

“Oh, well thats, um, cool.” he paused. “Congratulations?” Now he felt stupid.

Sonia smiled, her eyes resembling crescents. “Thank you,” she said genuinely, but it didn’t help him feel less dumb. She continued, “My point is that it’s not like it’s something that would bother me, if it was true. I don’t think it would bother any of them out there, either, especially not Komaeda.”

He was again reminded of how the conversation had started, and what Sonia had suggested. He felt a sinking feeling settle into his stomach, and wasn’t sure of exactly what it meant.

I mean, sure, him and Komaeda shared a room (and a bed), they hung out often (Hinata often missed him when they were apart, even if he wouldn’t admit it), and Komaeda was becoming more open and easy to be around (it made Hinata’s heart warm that he was part of the reason), but why would that come across like Hinata was interested in him as more than friends? How were him and Komaeda being seen differently than how he was with Kuzuryuu, or Souda, or any of his other friends on the island?

Hinata shook his head as if the thought would fly out of his brain if he just shook it hard enough. He was thinking too much about it. It was just a question from Sonia that he needed to deny, but for some reason the words were sticking to the inside of his head like sticky tack.

“I really don’t know where you got that from,” he finally said. He hurried to wash his hands again, suddenly wanting to leave the room as soon as possible. “I mean, it’s Komaeda we’re talking about.”

“Why would I suggest that you’re romantically involved with anyone besides Komaeda?”

Hinata wondered how “interested” had suddenly become “involved”, and decided that he would just have to ignore it to keep his head from spontaneously combusting.

“I think I’m gonna head back out,” he suddenly said, feeling like he’d rather beeline right out the window than have to interact with the rest of his friends at that moment, but he knew that was probably not a good option to go with.

Sonia could sense his urge to get away. “Oh, that’s alright, just give what I said some thought, will you?”

Hinata didn’t even reply before he swung the door open and stepped back into the main restaurant area, greeting everyone else and hoping that his somewhat flustered state could be taken as a result of the oven heat.

Not much had changed in the time he’d been gone, especially since it hadn’t been more than ten minutes at most. Hinata couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Komaeda completely immersed as he handed a property card to Koizumi. Looking around the room, everyone else was still hanging around and in their own groups of conversation.

“Hey, how’s our food going back there?” Owari asked when she saw him reenter the room. “I’m starving!”

“It should be out any minute,” he told her, remembering the serving plates that Sonia was setting up before he (very graciously and not in any hurry) left her.

“We’ll probably have to clean up the game then,” Koizumi said.

“We just started though!” Saionji huffed. “I haven’t even gotten to buy any houses!”

“You’re the one who picked such a slow game,” Souda mumbled.

“Why don’t we all just move it to another table?” Mioda suggested, and apparently everyone agreed that her suggestion was a good idea.

Hinata decided to help them. By the time they were done and all of the game pieces, cards, and board had been successfully transferred to a neighboring table, Sonia was bringing out her many dishes, which she skillfully balanced and lowered to the middle of the table.

While everyone marvelled over her talent at cooking (which, while not nearly as refined as Hanamura’s, was still quite high), Hinata took his seat next to Komaeda once again. The latter glanced over at him, and Hinata couldn’t quite meet his eyes. He pretended to be invested in the pot of rice.

“Here,” Hinata said once he filled a plate with enough food for Komaeda.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, not even complaining about all the vegetables. Hinata learned throughout him getting the other’s food that he didn’t like most of them.

After that, the meal was largely uneventful. Komaeda rarely spoke aside from a few chime-ins when someone mentioned a topic that piqued his interest. Hinata held his breath each time he spoke up, just waiting for an argument to begin, for an outburst to come out of seemingly nowhere, but no such thing happened. And Hinata knew that it probably wouldn’t, but that didn’t stop the back of his brain from being scared of the prospect.

Halfway through, Hinata stopped thinking about it, allowing his worries to subside as he fell into conversation with Souda about things they needed to work on at Electric Avenue. He’d been going out with him less frequently to work, and they both knew that it was because he was preoccupied with the man beside him, although Souda had no way of knowing just how preoccupied Komaeda made him. Also, Souda didn’t bother to bring that up, which partially surprised him. He expected him to complain about losing his self-proclaimed ‘soul friend’ to none other than Komaeda, but figured Souda must be as relieved as anyone else that there was someone keeping an eye on him.

At one point he caught Sonia’s eye, and she gave him an almost challenging look in the most Sonia way possible. He averted his gaze before he could allow his thoughts to wander back to their previous discussion, but it was already too late. He stole a glance at Komaeda, who was chewing and had a piece of rice stuck to his face. He swiped it away with his thumb without thinking.

“Hinata-kun?” Komaeda suddenly asked, probably wondering why his face was being touched without explanation. He tilted his head to the side, like a confused puppy. Hinata gulped.

“Aha- sorry,” he replied awkwardly. He wiped the rice off on his napkin.

“It’s fine. Hinata-kun doesn’t need permission to touch me.”

Hinata coughed loudly, as if that would stop anyone around from hearing the embarrassing things that come out of Komaeda’s mouth. It unfortunately had the opposite effect, as suddenly heads were turning in his direction.

“That’s a nasty cough you got there, Hajime! Do you need some medicine?” Mioda grinned and held up a bottle, shaking it around so enthusiastically that he couldn’t even read the label from his distance.

“I think I’m, uh, good, but thank you,” Hinata smiled weakly in her direction.

“Why the hell do you have cough syrup on you?” Kuzuryuu asked.

Mioda slammed the bottle down on the table, causing a rumble that shook half the room. She put her hands on her hips and exclaimed proudly, “You can never be too prepared!”

“She’s definitely getting high or something,” Saionji said with a snicker, and Hinata would have been quick to try and correct her, but he noticed that Komaeda was still looking at him from where he sat. 

Hinata blinked, looking at the clean spot where he’d swiped his thumb minutes ago. “There was, um, rice,” he mumbled as an explanation.

Komaeda hummed in acknowledgement. “How revolting of me. How lucky that I had you to take care of it.” He grinned, and Hinata decided not to comment on the food stuck in his teeth. He was feeling a little woozy.

When he finally snapped out of it, he noticed Souda looking back and forth between the two of them, probably confused about why his conversation with Hinata had suddenly been interrupted. “Alright…” he said warily. “That was fuckin weird. Anyways-” and he continued with what they were on about before. Hinata found it harder to focus this time around.

It didn’t help that he could see Sonia giggling out of the corner of his eye.

That night, Hinata had his first nightmare in weeks

He felt his heart drop out of his chest and his eyes flew open, jarring him awake. He glanced over to the clock, read that it was after two a.m, and put a hand over his chest to feel just how frantically his heart was beating. He felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest.

After almost a minute passed, the pounding began to subside in his ears and he began to pick up the sounds of wind from outside. He tried to focus on that to calm himself, but was still rampantly frightened and seeing flashes from his dream. He shut his eyes tight, hoping that they would cease, but found that it only made his predicament worse. He shook his head in frustration, finally leaning back onto his pillow and leaning a hand against his head, sighing quietly when he noticed that it was wet with sweat.

“Hinata-kun?” A soft voice asked, and he almost jumped out of his own skin before realizing who it belonged to. Even in his distressed state, he would recognize that voice anywhere, especially when it was saying his name in that familiar questioning tone.

A rush of relief flooded over him, and he grasped for purchase at Komaeda’s shirt, instantly feeling a mile better when he felt the connection. “ _Fuck_ ,” he breathed out, sending signals to his brain that he needed to calm down. He inhaled deeply, mentally steadying himself until his breathing created a rhythmic pattern.

Komaeda stayed silent along with him, unmoving where he practically laid on top of him. Hinata couldn’t tell if he was unsure of what to do, or was just aware that staying silent was the correct course of action, but he would be willing to bet on the former. They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time, and Hinata wasn’t sure if it had been thirty seconds or a half hour since he’d woken up when he finally exhaled a sigh loud enough that signaled to the other that he was ready to talk.

“Nightmare?” Komaeda asked. 

He nodded, pulling himself to a sitting position as he separated from Komaeda. He kept a hand on his chest, so that he could feel something aside from himself, something to focus on outside of his thoughts.

“I think I need to go for a walk,” Hinata said. He hadn’t gone on a walk since that night weeks ago, the night that started his deeper relationship with Komaeda, but he knew that he needed it right then. He felt trapped at that very moment, forced to relive what he’d seen in his sleep every time he closed his eyes, but hopefully some fresh air could relieve him from that.

“Ah, take your time, Hinata-kun. If you need to be alone tonight, I can go back to my r-”

“No,” he interjected, perhaps a bit too loudly by the way Komaeda flinched in surprise. He looked at Hinata with widened eyes, waiting for him to elaborate. “I-do you mind coming with me?”

It felt like a dumb request. He wasn’t even quite sure what possessed him to ask, but his traumatized and sleep-riddled brain did the talking for him.

“Oh, oh, of course!” Komaeda said with only a moment’s hesitation. Hinata felt his mind lighten at the agreement, even if he already knew before asking that it was the response he would get. “I just thought you’d want to be left alone with your thoughts, is all.”

“That’s honestly the last thing I want right now.” The truth of his own words, and the truth of just how much he craved Komaeda’s presence in that moment, surprised Hinata. He wondered when the realization of just how accustomed to having Komaeda in his life would stop shocking him.

“Then I’ll of course accompany Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said, and the smile that graced his face made Hinata feel like he was spiraling into a feeling that he could never come back from. Despite that, it wasn’t an unwelcome feeling, and that’s what scared him the most.

He grabbed Komaeda’s hand, needing something real to make _him_ feel real.

“Do you mind?” he asked, feeling even more stupid than he had seconds ago when he’d asked Komaeda to accompany him. He muttered, mostly to himself, “Of course you don’t mind, you’re you.”

“You got me there, Hinata-kun!” He looked down at their joined hands, embarrassment creeping up his spine. Looking back up to Komaeda’s grinning face only made the feeling worsen.

“Don’t feed your own ego, I just want to make sure you don’t get lost.” The lie didn’t even flow smoothly, but Komaeda didn’t comment. He just allowed himself to be pulled up by Hinata, who slipped on a pair of sandals, allowing Komaeda time to do the same, before leaving his cottage.

At first, Hinata’s plan was to head to Jabberwock Park on the middle island. But, as his feet carried him along the way, past the creaking motel gate and down the sandy island path, he saw the beach not far in the distance and his mind was already made up.

“Beach?” He asked, glancing over at Komaeda. There weren’t things like street lights on the island, although Souda had installed one near their cottages so that they could see if they went out at night. Though at this distance from the hotel, the glowing full moon was their only real source of light. He could see Komaeda perfectly, but wondered how visible he was in the other’s eyes. 

“I’ll go wherever you choose,” Komaeda responded, and Hinata wondered why he even bothered to ask.

The waves crashing against the shore allowed for the silence between the two men to remain comfortable when they arrived. Wordlessly, Hinata sat down, not even caring if he got sand all over his pants. It was around then that their hands separated, though Hinata didn’t remember the exact moment when it happened. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved when he noticed. Unfortunately for his addled komaeda-ridden brain, he was pretty sure that his feelings resided closer to the former.

A glance up showed that Komaeda was hesitant, but ultimately took a seat beside him when he saw no objection. Above them, the moon cast shimmering rays onto the ocean, and yet Hinata still found it difficult to focus on the pretty sight rather than the hammering in his chest that had not yet fully receded from when he first woke up. The flashbacks, though, had fortunately subsided since he’d left his own room.

“So,” Komaeda began, because he was not always one that could live with things being quiet for too long. “The dream was pretty terrible, huh?”

Hinata glanced to his side warily. Komaeda’s side profile was staring straight ahead at the water. He didn’t know how to respond, but he thought the answer should have been obvious enough. “Uh…”

“How invasive of me,” Komaeda suddenly said without missing a beat. “It’s not like you would want to share something like that in general, let alone with me.”

Hinata looked away, snapping his gaze to the ground, where he began dragging a singular finger in swirling motions through the cool sand. “Actually, I think you’re the only person I’d share something like that with,” he said, but it was more of a mumble.

At first, he thought (hoped) that Komaeda hadn’t picked up on it, but the way he felt the other shift next to him uncomfortably showed that he evidently had.

“We shouldn’t focus on things like that,” Komaeda said after a short silence. “You came out here to distract yourself-”

“You were in it,” Hinata breathed out, before he could stop himself. He felt his head ringing with faint white noise after the confession.

Komaeda recovered from his shock quickly. “Well, that really does sound like a terrible dream.”

Hinata didn’t even need to look up to know that Komaeda had one of his signature carefree smiles plastered on his face. He looked anyways, and felt a lump stuck in his throat when he looked at the other. Komaeda’s smile faltered slightly when he saw whatever look was on Hinata’s face. It evidently wasn’t one to smile at.

“It was the-” He choked slightly, covered it up by hearing his throat even if it convinced neither of them that he was alright, and spoke again. “The Warehouse. It was the warehouse.”

He was afraid that Komaeda would need more of an explanation to get it, but that thankfully wasn’t the case. Enlightenment dawned on his face almost immediately, his mouth widening into a small ‘oh’ when he realized.

“I’m sure my body was horrific to look at…”

Hinata sighed. “It’s not about that.” he shook his head, resting his head in one of his hands.

It wasn’t like what Komaeda said was inherently wrong, because his body was horrific to look at. There was no denying that, even if he didn’t care about Komaeda back then to the extent that he did now. Seeing anyone in that type of position, with all his injuries and wounds and the pained expression on his cold dead face, his eyes wide open in shock, was enough for anyone to have nightmares for weeks. Even aside from that instance, Hinata had enough trauma material to fuel bad dreams for the rest of his life. 

Komaeda furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.. “I thought Hinata-kun said his nightmare was about the warehouse.”

“Yes, yes, it was. But I wasn’t upset about-” When he caught Komaeda’s eye, he felt like he had to look away. If he didn’t, he was afraid that he would start crying, which was something he hadn’t succumbed to in ages. Not in months, since they first woke up, when Sonia wiped away his tears and Owari gave him a possibly too-firm and yet still reassuring pat on the back. They all told him that he was working too hard back then, and they were probably right, but it was necessary. Now, everything was fine. Everyone was alive, and yet Hinata still felt like he could break down at any moment.

The idea that really tore him up was the fear that he’d ever have to go through that loss again, and the unpredictability that went hand in hand with Komaeda did nothing to ease his anxiety about it. He thought back to how Komaeda seemed so scared to open up back in the program, and suddenly understood that thought process perfectly. Maybe he understood more of Komaeda than he even thought, but it wasn’t the time to sit and dwell on that.

He took a deep breath. “The thought of losing you…” He broke off, having to wipe his eyes and in that very moment he felt absolutely pathetic. “The thought of losing anyone here, let alone you...”

“I’m right here, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said. Hinata wasn’t sure if he said it to be comforting, but he felt the sentiment regardless of intention.

“Yea, and it better stay that way,” he mumbled, leaning back so that his head hit the ground and he was lying face-up towards the sky. “I’ve already lost enough for this lifetime. We all have.”

Komaeda was silent for a second. Crickets were chirping around them, a subtle but welcomed reminder that the Jabberwock Island they resided on was in fact real. Hinata closed his eyes, focusing on the noise of that and the waves, or literally anything else that wasn’t the horrors that shook him awake earlier that night.

“You’re going to get sand in your hair,” Komaeda pointed out.

Hinata grumbled. “Don’t care.” and he really didn’t. He could already feel the grains scratching against his scalp once it was brought up, but he was dutifully ignoring it.

A moment later, he heard shuffling next to him, scraping in the sand. Peeking one eye open allowed him to see Komaeda as he lied down parallel to him, looking up at the sky. From his position, Hinata could take in the details of his side profile perfectly, the arch of his nose and pretty frame of his lips standing out especially.

He shook his head to himself, ignoring as sand flew around before facing back up towards the sky, shutting his eye again promptly.

“I have to admit that I’m surprised.”

The vagueness of it only irritated Hinata slightly. “Surprised?” he echoed.

“That you’re still so weak,” Komaeda said, bluntly and as if it was nothing. “I mean, not that I’m saying Hinata-kun is weak…”

“That sounds like exactly what you were saying,” he responded, but it was lighthearted. He wasn’t sure why exactly Komaeda’s words didn’t sting, but he honestly couldn’t bring himself to be bothered by them.

“You have all your talents and strengths, everything that I fundamentally admire in another human being, and yet here you are about to cry because of a bad dream.”

Hinata sprung up suddenly in defense. “Hey, I am not about to cry.” Or, at least, he’d thought that he’d hidden it well.

Komaeda shrugged from where he was still lying down. “Perhaps not anymore, but the rims around your eyes are red.”

“Are not,” Hinata mumbled, perhaps a bit too childishly for his big age.

“I was simply pointing it out.”

“And I’m simply saying that you’re wrong,” Hinata knew that the argument was futile for anything other than distracting itself, which it actually worked quite well for. “And even if I was about to cry, I don’t think that should be considered a sign of weakness.”

Komaeda hummed thoughtfully. “That’s not what I was always told.”

“Well, whoever told you that was wrong too,” Hinata said firmly. He looked down at Komaeda, who was looking back up at him in return. He realized that Komaeda probably hadn’t been allowed to cry his whole life, judging by the words he’d just uttered. Hinata’s palm dug into the sand, sliding closer until he was closer to leaning above the other than before. “I’ll, uh, be your shoulder to cry on...if you ever need it. And I won’t think you’re weak for it.”

Komaeda blinked, his eyes flashing in the moon’s reflection. “Hinata-kun can cry on my shoulder too, even if it gets my shirt all wet.”

He found it in him to chuckle. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

He lied back on the ground like before, able to see Komaeda in his peripheral vision. 

“Should we go back to the hotel soon?” 

“Give me a few more minutes,” Hinata responded, but he honestly didn’t feel like moving for the foreseeable future. The night breeze should have made him feel chilly, but the air around was warm enough that he wasn’t bothered. He wondered how many days it would take to get all of the sand out of his hair.

“Well,” Komaeda said with a little drawl to his voice. Hinata raised a singular eyebrow in curiosity. Komaeda suddenly held up something that was slightly smaller than the size of his hand. “As long as we’re here, you want to play some cards?

Hinata sat up yet again. “Since when did you have those on you?”

“I put them in my jacket pocket before we left,” Komaeda explained cooly, already shuffling the deck with dexterous fingers.

“You’re pretty good at that,” Hinata commented. “I could never get the hand of shuffling when I was a kid. I can do it now, though. I think I’m the ultimate card master.”

“I used to play Solitaire a lot while I was in the hospital,” he explained. Hinata nodded in acknowledgement, knowing that he probably should have guessed as much.

“Sooo,” He dragged his eyes around the area until they finally landed back on Komaeda. “What should we play?”

He shrugged in return. “Whatever you want. I don’t know the rules to many multi-player games, but I’m sure i can get the hand of-- oh, shoot,” Komaeda suddenly lunged forward to try and grasp the cards before it was out of hand, but it was too late. Hinata got hit in the face with one or two, and the rest of them, save for a couple that were left grasped in Komaeda’s hand, went flying.

“Guess I’m out of practice,” Komaeda said sheepishly, already gathering up multiple cards off of the sandy ground. He muttered, “Can’t even shuffle a deck of cards without making a mess.”

“It’s more like both of us were too dumb to realize that playing a card game when it’s breezy out is a bad idea.”

Hinata helped him gather up more of the cards. Komaeda had a harder time locating them than he did since he could see easier, but the moon provided enough light to not make it an impossible task.

Just when they’d almost gathered them all up, the breeze that Hinata had just been referring to began to blow the last card away.

“I got it!” Komaeda called confidently, jumping to his feet at the same moment Hinata reached forward to grab it, his knees bending upward with his movement. 

It all happened quickly, yet Hinata could see it frame by frame in his mind. Komaeda made a noise of surprise when his foot got caught on Hinata’s leg, and he was tumbling down the next moment. Hinata covered his face, for fear of it getting landed on. Instead, felt a weight on his leg that sent a dull throb of pain running through it, and felt a thump on either side of him.

He peeked through the spaces in his forearms, craning his neck to see Komaeda, on the ground and partially on top of him. He seemed to fall near his legs, explaining the pain, and was doing sort of an awkward straddle with his arms on either side of Hinata, surely used to brace his fall.

“Are you okay?” Komaeda immediately asked, crawling upward until his head was hovering over Hinata’s.

“You’re getting sand in my mouth, Komaeda,” Hinata pointed out dryly, grinding his teeth and grimacing when he could feel the crunching of sand that probably came from the other’s hair.

“My apologies, Hinata-kun. I’ll get off you at once.” And so he did, rolling over to the other side of Hinata and getting up so that he was sitting on his knees. He surveyed the area. “Do you see the card anywhere? I think it got away.”

Hinata rolled his eyes. “Are you okay, Komaeda? You took quite the fall there.”

He perked up, raising an eyebrow. “I’m no stranger to injury. This was nothing.”

Hinata looked around the beach, and saw that even with his enhanced vision, the missing card appeared to be nowhere in sight. “I think we’re out of luck,” he said. “I don’t see it.”

“I’m never out of luck,” Komaeda said, his voice slightly grumbly. “I’ll keep looking.”

He began to stand up, but Hinata caught his arm in his own grasp. “It’s just a card,” he said persuasively. “Just stay here.”

“That’s littering, Hinata-kun.”

“The whole world is in ruins,” he countered tactfully. “Besides, it’s not like Monomi’s here to enforce rules.”

Komaeda didn’t seem to have a response to that. He dutifully took his spot back on the ground. “The deck is incomplete now.” He shoved the rest of the cards back into the pocket of his jacket.

“We can get a new one,” Hinata said with a roll of his eyes. “Besides, didn’t this deck have two aces of spades? Knowing our luck, we lost one of those, or just a joker.”

“I hope so,” Komaeda said, his face formed in a half frown. He took a breath. “You’re the first time I’ve played with anyone besides the nurses in the hospital...and they didn’t seem to like me, really. I talk too much, and too negatively. I think it disturbed them.”

Hinata wasn’t sure what prompted Komaeda to talk about it, but he found himself proud that he was someone the other could confide in, even if it was things that didn’t surprise him. “We can play as often as you want,” he found himself saying. “I don’t mind hearing you talk.”

“Not anymore,” Komaeda said. There wasn’t any bitterness to it, but there was an air in his tone that suggested he wanted reassurance.

“Nope, not at all,” Hinata said. “Would I have invited you out here if that was the case?”

“I guess not.” That seemed to settle him, at least for the time being. “Are you feeling any better?”

At first, Hinata didn’t realize what he was talking about, and he furrowed his eyebrows. Then, the reminder of how they ended up at the beach in the first place dawned upon him, and his mouth curved into a smile before he spoke.

“Honestly? Yea, I think so.” _All thanks to you_ , he thought, but didn’t dare say that part out loud.

“...Did I help?” He asked, and Hinata felt like his mind was being read.

“Yea, yea you did,” he admitted sheepishly. It didn’t let up when he saw the way Komaeda smiled hugely, like it was only meant for himself. His hand was clutched at his heart, and he was looking down at his lap. The sight was oddly cute, in a way that Hinata couldn’t explain rationally to his own mind.

Hinata gulped when Komaeda suddenly looked up at him, afraid that he’d been caught staring, but Komaeda’s thoughts seemed to be elsewhere when he spoke.

“Hinata-kun….you mean everything to me. You know that, right?” His hand was still clutched at his chest, and Hinata suddenly felt like he needed to do the same, because he was struggling to get air. “I’m just...so thankful that I can be of use to you.”

“You’re more than just ‘of use’ to me, Komaeda, you’re-” He suddenly stopped. He’d been about to say the words ‘my friend’, but something about it wasn’t sitting right with him. He bit his lower lip. ‘Best friend?’ ‘Soul friend?’ _No, that’s only what Souda calls me_. “You’re everything, too,” he finally settled with.

Something about those words felt better, and it scared Hinata deep to his core. It seemed to scare Komaeda, too, by the ways his eyes widened. Neither of them moved for a moment.

Komaeda was the first to break the silence, by laughing. “I-it’s alright, Hinata-kun. You don’t need to feel obligated to repeat the disgusting things that come from my mouth-”

“Just-” Hinata interjected. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to wind down his frustrations. “Forget about it.”

Komaeda seemed perfectly eager to do so, and he started making mindless patterns in the sand with his fingers. It was so dark that Komaeda could probably barely see what he was doing, but Hinata could make out the aimless marks, staring at them while he attempted to clear his own mind of confusion.

Eventually, as his thoughts continued to wander, his eyes slowly but surely began to feel heavy again for the first time since he’d been jarred awake by that nightmare. He began taking long blinks, Komaeda’s hand seeming to move around in flickers with how little he was keeping his eyes open. 

“Hinata-kun?” Komaeda’s voice jolted him back into full consciousness, but the sleepiness remained.

“Mmm,” he hummed in response.

“You seem really tired. We should go back to the room.”

“Don’t feel like it,” Hinata said, even though Komaeda was probably right. He internally grumbled.

“I can carry you,” Komaeda offered, but Hinata couldn’t imagine that scenario going anywhere but imminent disaster.

“Absolutely not. Just go back to the room yourself.”

Hinata’ eyes were beginning to droop again, but he could see Komaeda’s mildly annoyed facial expression, as if the idea that he would leave Hinata alone on the beach was offensive.

Wordlessly, Komaeda scooted back until he was laying parallel to Hinata, similar to how they were earlier. He turned his body over so that they were face to face and rested his cheek on one of his hands.

“Guess I’m staying too,” he finally said, his voice just above a whisper since a voice any louder would have surely startled Hinata with how short their distance was from each other in that moment.

If Komaeda was anyone else, Hinata would have said ‘You don’t have to,’ but Komaeda wasn’t anyone else. He was him, and Hinata knew that no amount of coaxing would get the other to leave, unless Hinata truly told him that he didn’t want the other around. And he didn’t think he could lie like that, nor did he _want_ to, as selfish as that may have been.

Komaeda’s other hand that wasn’t under his cheek was slowly moving towards him, something that Hinata wouldn’t have been able to notice if it wasn’t for his keen sense of sight. Hinata reached down and grasped it, something that was exceptionally easier when he knew that the other couldn’t see well in the darkness.

“I guess I was a little obvious,” Komaeda said, a sheepish undertone in his voice. He dragged both of their hands up to his own chest, and Hinata realized that Komaeda’s heartbeat was just as fast as his own. He scooted just slightly closer without a second thought, his skin scratching the sand from where a piece of his shirt was riding up.

Hinata shifted slightly to pull the shirt back over the top of his sweatpants. “I am way too comfortable for someone who is about to pass out on a beach.”

“The sound of the waves are rather relaxing.”

Maybe Komaeda’s heart really wasn’t beating as fast as his, or at least not as loud, because Hinata could hear his own in his ears, and it took him moments to calm down enough to actually hear the ocean sounds that Komaeda was referring to. Though they were relaxing just as the other told him.

He found his brain working back into that sleepy rhythm while he listened to them, and he felt Komaeda’s chest rise and fall while he breathed against their conjoined hands. In between long blinks, he caught a glimpse of Komaeda’s eyes drooping in a similar fashion. His mouth was hanging slightly open. They made eye contact, and Hinata instinctively squeezed his hand. Komaeda returned the notion.

The last thing that he thought before falling asleep was the acknowledgement that he was royally screwed, and probably needed to talk to Sonia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, um, hi? I'm not too sure how to feel about this chapter, but I really wanted it to end at this specific note. I want to thank all of you again for being so patient and for all the kind feedback I've received. You guys are amazing and I am super motivated for the next (and probably last) chapter of this fic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I'm back, school still been a stresser but the chapter is finally here. I'll probably talk more at the end...

When Hajime found himself being brought to consciousness, he could immediately tell that it was the next morning. At first, he couldn’t recall anything from the night before, and was wondering why his sides felt so scratchy. _Was that sand in his shirt?_

What he could register is that there was someone talking to him. By the tone and sound, he easily connected it to Souda. Squinting his eyes open slightly, he caught glimpses of acid yellow and dark pink hovering over him. Above that, rays of sunlight blinded his vision.

“G’morning,” He slurred groggily, pushing himself up to a sitting position and rubbing his eyes where he could still see the light, even with them now shut.

Souda’s words slowly came to fruition in Hinata’s morning-hindranced brain. “ _Morning!?_ I thought you were fucking dead or something! Were you out here all night?”

It was then that he registered the sky behind Souda in addition to the bright blue waves. After a few solid moments of wracking his brain to explain why he was on the beach first thing in the morning, the events of the night before flooded over him. He whipped his head around in all directions, but there was no sign of anyone else except for himself and Souda. 

“Did you see anyone else while you were out here?” Hinata asked casually. Souda seemed frustrated that his questions were being ignored. Hinata rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, Souda. Just took a night walk and ended up too tired to go back to my room.” He wasn’t lying, technically, and it fortunately seemed to satisfy the other. 

“I just left the hotel to go to Electric Avenue when I walked by the beach and saw you just laying there!” 

Hinata hummed, curious as to where Komaeda had gone but assuming that he most likely went back to his room to shower, though it was a little out of character that he didn’t wait for Hinata to wake up first. 

“Can I tag along?” Hinata asked. He honestly didn’t feel like working that day. His back hurt from sleeping on the ground and he had sand in unmentionable places, but he knew that he’d been spending a lot of time with Komaeda recently and wanted to make sure not to neglect his other friends. 

“You sure, man? You look exhausted. You probably need some-” 

“Coffee?” An all-too familiar voice suddenly chirped, his timing so perfect that Hinata wondered if it was pure luck. 

“Oh, heh heh, morning Komaeda...” Souda scratched the back of his head, his laugh high and sounding anything but humorous when his eyes fell on Komaeda. Hinata tried not to let his relief outwardly show when confirming that the other was fine. 

Hinata’s gaze dropped to the mug in Komaeda’s grip, steam flowing from the top along with the unmistakable bitter-sweet smell of freshly brewed coffee. It had too much cream in it for Komaeda’s liking. 

“Is that for me?” Hinata guessed, but it was more of a realization, and it explained why Komaeda wasn’t there when he woke up. He’d also changed his clothes, Hinata noted, but he couldn’t tell if the other showered or not. 

Komaeda nodded. “I, ummm, noticed you sleeping on the beach earlier and thought you could use something to wake you up.” 

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why he lied, but quickly decided that he must be wary about Souda, or more likely, thinking that Hinata would be embarrassed if Souda knew the truth. That thought made him frown. 

He took the mug, sipping to hide his scowl as it dissipated. “Thank you, Komaeda. I definitely needed this.” 

“Now you can come right along to electric avenue with me!” Souda gave a thumbs up. 

“Oh? That sounds awfully fun,” Komaeda commented with a smile. Hinata couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic. Souda side-eyed Komaeda from where he stood, and the other clearly caught on. “I’ll...just be at the hotel, then." 

Hinata thought it was better if Komaeda didn’t tag along anyways. “Yea, I’ll catch up with you later,” he said with a nod. 

Komaeda grinned with a wave. “Of course, Hinata-kun! Bye, Hinata-kun, Souda-kun!” he waved only slightly over-enthusiastically while leaving the beach. Hinata chuckled to himself, returning the wave in a much nicer manner than Souda, who grumpily waved a single hand before grabbing Hinata by the arm and dragging him off in the opposite direction, almost spilling his coffee in the process. 

They were promptly on their way across the bridge towards Electric Avenue. 

The pair of them worked for a couple hours, the sun cascading light at different parts of the island as time passed. By the light, he could tell that he’d probably woken up around ten in the morning or so. 

As him and Souda talked and laughed together, he was reminded of how much he loved the guy, even if he could be a pain in the ass from time to time. Honestly, all of their group could, so Souda wasn’t alone on that. 

They took a break around early afternoon. Hinata’s coffee was half-drank and lukewarm, completely forgotten while he’d been working on repairing a television set. He thought it was useless, since there was no cable or anything of the sort that they could connect to, but Souda wanted to get a dvd player up and running for movie nights. 

He took a sip of his drink, grimacing at the lackluster taste now that the drink had cooled off. He placed it back down on the ground, sitting back in his foldable chair that was next to a similar one that Souda occupied. 

He was going to speak, to talk about his progress on the tv, but Souda spoke first, looking like whatever he had to say was something that had been on his mind for a bit. 

“Isn’t it exhausting, having him around so much?” He asked. Hinata didn’t need to be the genius that he technically was to know who Souda was talking about. Souda glanced around warily, as if the man in question was suddenly going to pop out again out of nowhere 

Hinata was shocked by the subject being approached, but evidently shook his head. “If you mean Komaeda then no, not really.” Hinata paused before saying, “He’s honestly not that bad once you get to know him.” 

Souda said, “Right..” but he clearly wasn’t convinced. 

“I like him,” Hinata said, not quite sure what prompted the confession. Souda, of course, took the words at face value. 

“Well, clearly, for some damn reason,” he said with the shake of his head. “It’s better he has at least one friend out of us, I guess.” 

“No, I-” he took a breath, knowing that Souda was probably the last person he should be talking about this with. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends, though? “I _like_ him, Souda,” he said seriously, glancing over at his side to gauge the other’s reaction. 

“Uh...yea..you just said that.” Of course, he still didn’t get it. He could even be more clueless than Hinata himself. Hinata breathed a sigh. “You alright there, Hajime? You look like you’re sweating.” 

Hinata ignored his question. “I like him like... _like_ him, Souda,” he said stupidly. When the mechanic just raised an eyebrow, Hinata groaned. “I think I want to kiss him...and stuff. That kind of like, y’know?” 

It was a thought he’d barely even allowed to occupy his own mind, and now here was him bursting it out loud in front of Souda of all people. 

He blinked, his pupils suddenly much smaller. A piece of an engine he’d been inspecting for the past few minutes clattered to the ground as he lost his grip on it. “C-come again?” 

Hinata groaned even louder, getting up from his chair in embarrassment. “Forget it,” he said. “I’ll talk to Sonia later…” _which would have been a much better option in the first place_ , he thought to himself. 

“Hey, wait a minute! You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then say _‘forget it’!”_

“It was stupid,” Hinata said, but he knew he couldn’t take it back and just had to watch the effects unfold. 

“B-but you meant it, didn’t you?” Souda asked, looking like he was trying very hard to make sense of it in his head. 

Hinata stood there awkwardly. He tapped his foot rhythmically, attempting to focus on that instead of his own embarrassment. “Uhh, yea?” 

“ _Komaeda?_ ” 

Hinata couldn’t do anything but nod, watching the different array of emotions that flashed across his friends’ face. 

“He tried to blow us up!” he exclaimed. 

“He was bluffing,” Hinata replied, the conversation beginning to head exactly where he didn’t want it to. “And if we really want to talk about every bad thing each of us has done, we can go on for a while. You want me to write up a document on it?” 

He felt bad for his voice getting slightly raised. He knew Souda didn’t like that, but he also didn’t like their past being used against them still. Not when Komaeda was the only one where it was still being held against them. Even Tsumiki, who had betrayed them and been the most invested in despair, was welcomed back with open arms. Hinata was glad for that, of course, but couldn't help but wish that Komaeda got the same treatment. 

Souda looked like he wanted to argue it, but eventually deflated. Hinata watched as the fight flew right out of him, perhaps after he saw the hurt look on Hinata’s face. 

“Yea, you’re right,” he eventually said, though it looked like the admittance pained him a little. “It’s just…” He gestured around to them. Hinata glanced around accordingly, taking in the blue sky and remnants of machines that littered Electric Avenue. “We have something nice here. I mean, it sucks, being stuck on these islands for who knows how long with the knowledge that we’re the reason the world is as fucked as it is, but..it’s also a little….nice...that we’re all together like this.” 

“Yea, it is,” Hinata agreed, not quite sure where Souda was going with the conversation but liking it more than where they were moments ago. He decided to just go along with it. “I like being around all you guys too.” 

“I’m just afraid he’ll fuck it all up for us.” 

“He won’t,” Hinata said without hesitation, but he understood where Souda was coming from. It was hard to be upset at him when he’d had similar fears not that long ago. “It’s different now.” 

“How so?” 

“He’s _healing_ ,” Hinata said. “I’ve watched it first-hand. He’s really getting better, haven’t you noticed?” 

“I mean… yea? He’s not prancing around talking about death all the time...at least, not as much.” 

“He’s not a bad person, really, and... I trust him.” 

Souda seemed to take that into consideration. He hummed somewhat loudly, it coming out more like a whine, but he eventually took a breath and looked over at his best friend seriously. “You’re serious about this whole ‘having a crush on komaeda’ thing, right? You’re not yanking my tail?” 

Hinata sat back down hesitantly and exhaled. “No, unfortunately, I am quite serious about it. I might even…” he trailed off, not quite comfortable with saying something like that out loud at the moment, but it didn’t stop his brain from thinking it, from wondering if it was true. “I just...thought I should tell you. We’re soul friends, after all.” 

Using the nickname that Souda had come up with for them seemed to put him in a brighter mood. “Yea, we are,” he agreed with a smile. “And that’s why you can tell me anything.” 

It was silent for a moment, and Hinata paused to look at his friend, who was looking right back at him with a small smile. 

“Thank you,” Hinata said, feeling like the mood was much calmer than before. 

“Ehhhh I’m...sorry about how I reacted before,” Souda said while scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “It just really look me by surprise...needed some time to process, yknow” 

Hinata shrugged. “Can’t blame you. Besides, you honestly acted better than I would have expected, given the circumstances.” 

“I mean, liking guys is one thing. My folks weren’t all too supportive of that type of thing, but I never really saw the problem I guess, but _Komaeda_?” He said the name like if he wished it hard enough, it would become untrue. 

Hinata found it in him to laugh lightly. “I don’t even know what my preferences are,” he admitted. “I mean, I’ve never really thought about it considering the whole ‘end of the world’ thing.” 

“Do you still like girls?” Souda asked, having that look again like he was trying to figure out something exceptionally difficult. 

“I’m pretty sure I do. But honestly, all I know right now is that I like him.” 

“Then…” Souda only hesitated for a second before throwing an arm around him, leaning so far over in his chair that it could topple over at any second. “I’m in support, dude.” 

Hinata perked up in surprise. “Huh?” 

“What kind of soul friend would I be if I wasn’t? I mean, I still don’t quite like the guy, but like you said, we should try to move past that old shit, right?” 

Hinata smiled, throwing an arm around his best friend in return with only a moment’s hesitation. “Thank you.” 

“Not like I can really judge when it comes to having a crappy love life. Not that yours is crappy or anything, but-” he looked around nervously, clearly afraid he said the wrong thing, but Hinata just raised an eyebrow. 

“I know what you meant,” he said. 

Souda breathed out a sigh. “It’s just...I’m the last person who has any right to cast judgement. I mean, Sonia doesn’t want anything to do with me.” 

Hinta wasn’t sure how he could give comfort for something like that. “I don’t think she was ever the right person for you,” he said honestly. He was a little relieved that the conversation had shifted focus off of himself. 

“She’s everything I ever wanted-er, _thought_ I wanted.” 

“Thought?” Hinata echoed. 

He admitted, “I think I just liked the idea of her more than anything.” 

It may have taken years for Souda to realize it, but it’s not like Hinata could judge him for that. He’d only just realized after all this time that he might like boys in addition to girls. If anything, he was exceptionally proud of his best friend’s maturation. 

“There might still be someone out there for you,” Hinata said. 

“If we ever get off this damn island, which...who knows at this point when that might happen.” 

He sounded discouraged. It brought a saddish smile to Hinata’s face. “Maybe they’re on the island too, and you just don’t know it yet,” he said with a shrug. “I mean, I never expected for Komaeda to be the one I…” he trailed off. 

Souda shook his head, seemingly tossing aside Hinata’s words as if he hadn’t even heard them. “Still fuckin weird, though...you and him...are you sure Mahiru ain’t recording us somewhere, waiting for the ‘ _gotcha!’_ moment?” 

Hinata let out a full-on laugh, not sure if he was happy that the focus was off of Souda’s failed love life or upset that the focus was back on him. “Feel free to check, but I’m afraid your search would turn up empty.” 

“I mean...it’s Komaeda we’re talking about,” Souda said, apparently not yet able to let it go. 

“Yep.” 

“ _Komaeda_ Komaeda.” 

Hinata rolled his eyes. “Yes, Komaeda Komaeda. As in, ultimate lucky student, hope-fixated Komaeda who drags disaster wherever his two feet walk.” 

“And who brings you coffee when you wake up on the beach alone, apparently,” Souda added. 

He looked down at the cup filled with just a bit of now-cold tea, not able to help the fond smile that formed at the memory of Komaeda offering it. “Yea, that too.” 

Souda unwrapped his arm from around him. “Ew, you, like, totally have heart eyes, dude.” 

Hinata jumped up. “Do not!” He yelled defensively. 

“Shut up, I’m just teasin’ ya!” He crossed his arms a little awkwardly. “You should, er, tell him.” 

If Hinata could see his own face in that moment, he knew it probably would’ve looked similar to a look Souda had given him many times in their years of knowing one another. “ _Tell him?_ No thanks, I’ve only just come to terms with this myself.” 

“Well, I mean, the guy adores you. That’s plain as day.” 

“He adores hope,” Hinata said dryly, pointing to his red eye as an indicator. 

“Yea, but… it was always different with you,” Souda pointed out. “Remember, er, back then? Even when he didn’t know your talent, he was really into you.” 

That memory from before the fourth trial suddenly popped back into Hinata’s head. _“Why do I still care about you?”_

“I mean...me and Komaeda,” Hinata deadpanned. “Can you honestly see a world where that goes well?” 

“Well, uh,” Souda paused and really seemed to think for a moment. His tongue swiped over his sharp teeth before he pursed his lips in concentration. “Kinda?” 

Hinata raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh.” 

“No, seriously, you guys… kinda work, in a freaky way. No offense to you, of course. At first I thought it was just some weird friendship bond thing, but now with what you told me…” 

It wasn’t the answer Hinata was expecting, so he wasn’t sure what to make of it. If Souda of all people was able to see him and Komaeda like that, what did that mean? 

“We should get back to work,” Hinata said, a sudden change in topic that even Souda picked up on. 

He looked relieved for the subject change as well. “Yea, you’re right, we should plan to get back to the hotel before dinner.” 

The next time he saw Komaeda was right when he got back to the hotel. He’d just been working for hours, and it had been hot outside, so he was naturally sweating. He hoped to be able to rush into his room and shower off all the grime before encountering anyone, but was unfortunate enough to be greeted with a mob upon his and Souda’s arrival. 

“Look! Look!” Mioda greeted enthusiastically, waving her arms in front of Hinata’s face. It took him a moment to register her because of his exhaustion, but eventually he looked at her with a confused look. 

“Mioda, I’m sure whatever it is can wait. I need to shower before dinner-” 

Saionji gasped from behind Mioda. “Yea, ewwww, are those pit stains?” 

“M-maybe we should show him later?” Tsumiki suggested quietly. 

Mioda, unsurprisingly, practically ignored all of them. “Showering takes, like, _fifty_ years while looking only takes a few seconds, so just look!” 

She gestured behind her, and by extension, behind Saionji, who was standing next to Koizumi and Tsumiki. With all of the girls around, Hinata hadn’t even noticed Komaeda peeking out from the very back. Usually his tall stature would’ve had him standing out like a sore thumb, but he was slightly curled in on himself, in an almost shy way. 

And that’s when Hinata noticed it. “Your hair?” He raised a singular eyebrow, but all the girls being gathered around put the picture of what happened clearly in his head. 

“Ta daaaaaa!” Mioda cheered melodiously. She grabbed a hold of Komaeda from either side and shoved him forward like he was a trophy to show off. 

“I tried to ask for a different color, but Mioda-san was quite insistent…” 

Komaeda laughed lightly after he spoke. He then tugged at the ends of his hair, which were no longer a dull white but instead a pastel pink tone that got darker the further down it went, very similar to the color in Mioda’s own hair. 

“Ibuki only did the tips because the blond coming out at the top is very pretty,” Mioda explained. 

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows. “Blond?” But upon further inspection, he could see exactly what she’d been talking about. Rather than a sickly white, a little bit of the hair peeking from Komaeda’s roots were darker and thicker. 

“I can’t think of the last time that my hair wasn’t pure white,” commented Komaeda thoughtfully. 

“So, whad’ya think?” Mioda was still gripping onto Komaeda as she spoke. “Ibuki thinks it’s _sexy_.” 

Hinata isn’t sure if he’d ever heard her use that word. Komaeda wrapped his arms around himself protectively. 

“Don’t let me ever hear that word in reference to Komaeda again,” Saionji said, covering her ears as if it would make her forget she’d heard it. “Especially not from you, Hinata. Keep that shit behind doors.” 

“What?” Hinata asked, though mostly to himself. He saw Koizumi blush, and decided he’d rather if Saionji didn’t elaborate after all. He finally said, “It’s, uh, pretty?” 

Pretty was a bit of an understatement. If someone had come up to him earlier and told him that Komaeda had pink hair, he probably would’ve in their face, though perhaps that would be because the mention of ‘pink hair’ would’ve probably had him imagining Komaeda in a Kazuichi Souda wig (surely a sight to behold). 

Instead of something shocking and outlandish, the pink ends to his hair were rather complimenting to his skin tone, which was looking less sickly as the days passed. It was soft, and although pretty might not be the word that a man like Komaeda wanted to hear, it was the easiest word for Hinata to get out of his mouth without sounding like an idiot. 

“I know it’s a little ridiculous, but it’ll probably fade soon…” Komaeda said. He could tell Hinata’s tone was off, though he of course thought that it was because he was _lying_ about the hair being pretty rather than Hinata just not telling the entire truth. 

“I actually like it,” Hinata said genuinely, and hoped that the sentiment showed in his tone this time. He cleared his throat awkwardly, tearing his eyes away from Komaeda to face everyone else. “Good job, girls.” 

“Now go shower,” Koizumi scolded. “Dinner will be ready soon, so you better not be late.” 

“Yea, I can smell you from here!” Saionji complained, pinching her nose and sticking her tongue out. 

Hinata rolled his eyes lightheartedly. “I’m on it. See you all in a few." 

He sent Komaeda a longer glance than the rest of them before walking back to his cabin. 

“I found a lot of firewood today while walking around,” Kuzuryuu brought up casually during dinner that night. “It’s been a while since we’ve done a bonfire.” 

“Oh, that sounds like a great idea!” Sonia clasped her hands together excitedly, a little twinkle in her eye. 

“We had a bonfire before?” Mioda piped up confusedly. 

Saionji added, “When the hell was that?” 

“I, too, cannot recall any bonfire,” Gundham drawled. “And as someone who is one with the bountiful flames of hell, such an incident would not simply slip my mind.” 

“It was a couple months ago, right?” Owari asked, and then suddenly everyone realized. 

“We weren’t awake yet,” Koizumi said matter-of-factly upon her realization. There was a brief awkward silence that washed over them, one that was not out of the ordinary any time their situation was brought up. Luckily, it resolved itself after only a few moments. 

“I still think it sounds pretty fun,” Hinata said, if only to relieve the last bit of tension left. “It’s getting darker earlier these days, so we could probably start setting up when we’re done here.” 

“I’ll bring the firewood over to the beach,” Kuzuryuu said, and the atmosphere was officially back to normal. “The one on the second island, so we can use the fridge in the diner for drinks.” 

“I’ll prepare some delightful snacks,” Hanamura proposed, his finger and thumb in an L-shape to prop up his chin. “Perhaps, under the dazzling moonlight and next to the warm flames, one of you fine ladies-” 

Saionji, thankfully, cut him off. “I’ll go see if there's any marshmallows at the store. I want s’mores!” she threw her arms in the air enthusiastically and giggled. 

“And I’ll go look for roasting sticks there as well,” Koizumi offered, of course going wherever Saionji went. “Though we might have to find some sort of substitution if there is none.” 

The table continued to talk enthusiastically about the bonfire, and Hinata felt a surge of fondness weld up within him. Sure, they always had dinner together, but something about going out and spending an evening together by a fire seemed so nostalgic. 

“Komaeda, are you coming?” Mioda asked suddenly from across the table. 

“I’m sure I could take some nice photos of you by the fire light. It’ll really bring out the color in your hair.” 

Komaeda looked taken aback by the attention. Hinata felt a little bit similar himself just from watching. “Thank you, Koizumi-san and Mioda-san, but I think I’ll have to pass.” 

Mioda pouted. “But we need to have everyone there!” 

“It’s really no bother,” Sonia assured. “We’d love to have you.” 

No one commented on how she surely didn’t speak for everyone at the table. 

“With my luck…” Komaeda started, and you could practically see when Mioda instinctively tapped out of the conversation before having to listen to a ramble. Hinata couldn’t blame her. 

“It’s okay if you want to rest, but feel free to join,” Sonia reassured once again before joining a developing conversation between Mioda and Tsumiki. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Hinata asked, suddenly less excited about the night ahead than he was just moments ago. 

“I just...can’t exactly explain it,” Komaeda said, so quiet that nobody else but Hinata would be able to hear him. “But fire...it makes me uncomfortable recently.” 

At the other’s words, Hinata saw flashes of the burned warehouse, knocked-over Monokuma panels, and could almost hear the eerie music that signaled Komaeda’s virtual doom. He gulped, shaking his head before the thoughts could overwhelm him. 

“Oh, that makes sense,” he said slowly. Komaeda visibly cringed, showing it was definitely a hard thing for him to admit out loud. “Do you want me to stay behind with you?” 

“I already steal Hinata-kun from everyone else enough,” Komaeda said, his voice still relatively low. Hinata frowned, but had to admit there was a truth to his words. Not the stealing part, but Hinata did want to spend more time with his other friends now that Komaeda was more stable. “I actually have a book to finish, so I’m perfectly content with remaining behind. It is a shame though, the bonfire sounds awfully fun!” 

He seemed genuine, so Hinata had no choice but to concede. “Alright, we’ll, uh...miss you.” 

Komaeda let out a soft laugh at that, raising a singular eyebrow but didn’t challenge Hinata on it, even though it was likely that almost nobody would notice Komaeda’s lack of presence except for the fact that he wasn’t there to make anyone uncomfortable. 

Then again, the others seemed to be warming up to Komaeda. At least, the girls were. He wasn’t sure about everyone else, although anyone warming up to the other was more than he’d ever expected. The thought brought comfort to him. 

“This was a really good idea,” Koizumi commented later as they were out by the fire. They’d spent the next hour and a half after dinner setting up, and were now all settled on the beach. All except for Komaeda, of course. 

“Yea, I thought we could all use something to lift our spirits,” Kuzuryuu said. “I mean, it’s not like we’re doing that bad, but never being able to leave this island makes me a little stir crazy.” 

Mioda nodded, speaking in between muffled bites of a graham cracker. “You can say that again.” 

“At least we’re not dead,” Saionji said. Her facial expression turned defensive when multiple stares were thrown in her direction. “What? It’s better to look on the bright side of things.” 

“Since when did you become so optimistic?” Kuzuryuu asked suspiciously. Saionji huffed irritatedly as a reply. 

“She’s right though,” Hinata agreed. “I mean, so many people died over what we did, and we’re here while they aren’t.” 

“ _And_ we get to stay on this tropical island,” The Imposter added on, further accentuating Hinata’s point. “We got the good end of the stick, even if we didn’t deserve it.” 

“Sounds pretty great to me,” Nidai chimed in loudly. Owari nodded from next to him. 

“I guess that's a better way of thinking about it instead of complaining,” Souda said. “But I do wonder if we’ll ever get out of here.” 

“Probably eventually,” Hinata replied. “It’s only been a couple of months. Naegi might want my help working on things eventually.” 

“Woah, with future foundation?” Mioda asked in awe. “Will you get to wear a sexy uniform?” 

Saionji mumbled, “There you go with that word again.” 

“I don’t know, it’s just something he’s mentioned to me in passing. With all Izuru’s talents…” he trailed off. “For now let’s just wait here and not cause any problems.” 

“Well, I know we won’t, but…” Kuzuryuu trailed off, avoiding eye contact with Hinata. Pretty much everyone around knew what, or rather who, he was referring to. 

“Komaeda’s fine,” Hinata said resolutely. “He isn’t a danger to us.” 

“How can you be sure of that?” 

“I just am.” Hinata was beginning to sound frustrated, but he wasn’t sure if it was justified. After all, his friends’ wariness of Komaeda was anything but unwarranted. 

“I think we should trust Hinata,” Sonia imputed. “After all, he knows Komaeda best out of all of us.” 

“Ibuki thinks he’s okay now...I mean, we had a lot of fun earlier with his hair! He didn’t even struggle!” 

“H-he seemed better, from a medical standpoint.” 

“I know it’s really hard to let go of the past, especially considering what all of us have been through, but I think we should try to move on. If something happens, we can take it from there.” 

There were a couple of nods in reply to Sonia’s words, a general consensus among them, even if some people were more hesitant than others. 

It was quiet for a moment, not much beyond the crackling of the fire and waves crashing against the shore behind them. The sky was relatively clear, and Hinata could even make out constellations if he focused hard enough. The lack of light pollution from the world in recent days made those kinds of things more common, especially being on a deserted island. 

He wondered if Komaeda was looking at the stars too from back at the hotel, or whether he was too busy holed up in a cabin reading that he didn’t come out to look. 

“Can you even hear me, dumbass? I asked you to pass the marshmallows!” 

He was pulled from his thoughts by vexed Saionji waving her hands in front of his face. He blinked twice to bring himself back into full awareness and process what she said. 

“Sure thing, sorry,” He reached over and handed her the bag. She grabbed it enthusiastically to prepare another s’more. By then, it seemed that almost everyone had gone back to normal and having fun, as if their talking points hadn’t been so serious just moments ago. 

It couldn’t have been even thirty seconds later that he felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulder, and the blonde hair he could see cascading down from the corner of his eye made him able to identify the person immediately. 

“Do you need to talk?” Sonia’s voice was kind and quiet, not drawing any attention to their conversation from the others. “Sorry to be a bother, but, well...I could tell that you were thinking about it.” She was as intuitive as ever. 

Hinata scooted over without even thinking, almost bumping Saionji on his other side in the process. Luckily, he was able to avoid that and what would have likely led to a whiny scolding from the smaller girl. Sonia sat down next to him immediately, flattening the skirt of wrinkles that she was wearing. It reached her knees in a tight fit and was probably not the best clothes to be wearing to a beach party, but Sonia wasn’t always one for normalcy. 

“I should’ve expected that you’d try to come talk to me,” Hinata said eventually, trying to avoid specifics just in case anyone around was listening, but the group around them were getting considerably louder, making the chances of being overheard much lower. Hinata saw that Mioda seemed to be telling a scary story, judging by the spooked look on Souda’s face as he partially hid himself behind Kuzuryuu. 

“Does that mean you’ve thought about what we talked about?” 

Hinata sighed before letting out a shaky laugh. “Yea, you could say that.” he paused, swiping a glance around the beach in hesitation. “Souda thinks I should tell him.” 

Sonia raised an eyebrow. “He knows? And more importantly, _you_ know? You seemed quite adamantly against it yesterday.” 

“Sorry I ran out on you like that,” Hinata said sheepishly. 

She chuckled. “I shouldn’t have thrown it all onto you so abruptly.” 

“No, it’s fine. To be honest, I was really struggling to put a finger on how I felt, but pretty soon after you talked to me-” 

“It all clicked?” Sonia filled in with a smile. Hinata nodded only slightly reluctantly. 

“Should I? Tell him, that is? You seemed like a better person to ask.” 

Sonia let out a breath, a smile gracing her pretty face. “I guess that depends on what you’re hoping to get out of telling him.” 

“What I’m hoping to... get out of it?” he repeated, not quite understanding. 

“Well, do you want to pursue a relationship with him?” She raised an eyebrow when taking in Hinata’s suddenly widened eyes. “Or did you not think that far?” 

Hinata didn’t want to admit that Sonia was right on the mark, but his responses were probably already obvious enough for her to get the full picture. “How would we even manage that? I mean...we’re all kind of stuck here.” 

Sonia shrugged. “I mean, Tanaka and I seem to manage it pretty well. Pekoyama and Mioda, too.” 

“Peko and….what?” Now she’d lost him. 

Instead of replying outright, Sonia nodded to somewhere behind Hinata. He looked over his shoulder, immediately spotting Mioda, who was planted right on top of Pekoyama. If he looked close, he could almost see the reddish flush tinting her cheeks. It was strange to see her blushing, but he could not deny what his own eyes were seeing. Mioda was as loud and boisterous as ever, continuing to tell her stories in an elevated voice. 

He immediately scanned the area for Kuzuryuu, expecting to see him angry or jealous somewhere off in a corner, but he didn’t even seem to be paying the two supposed lovebirds any mind. Souda was still clinging to his side, visibly shaking from whatever scary stories Mioda had been telling. His eyes were just barely peeking from behind Kuzuryuu’s shoulders and under his beanie. Kuzuryuu looked visibly annoyed, but there was a hint of fondness mixed into it all. The whole scene made Hinata’s head hurt. 

“How did I manage to miss this?” He asked, bringing his eyes back to meet Sonia’s. 

“You’ve been a bit preoccupied, I must admit,” she said, albeit a little bit teasingly. She placed her pointer finger to her lips. “You’re not the only person who gets relationship advice from me.” 

“You are...truly something,” he said with a light laugh. And she truly was. Her bright personality, her ability to help anyone in need, the slight airheadedness she sometimes exhibited but at other times she was so intuitive that it was scary...they were all truly something. “Tanaka is lucky.” 

Sonia smiled. “So is Komaeda, he just doesn’t know it yet,” she said, then paused and Hinata could almost see the lightbulb going off in her head. “Actually, scratch that. He definitely knows he’s lucky, just not about this.” 

Before he had the chance to respond, there was someone else calling out his name. 

“Yea, Hinata, what do you think?” 

He looked up. “Sorry, Mioda, what was the question?” 

“She wanted to know which story she should tell,” The Imposter filled in. “The options were one about flesh eating zombie bunnies, and the other was…” he trailed off, seemingly not able to remember. 

“The Ghost of Jabberwock Island,” Peko said monotonously. “That was the other option.” 

“Psst, Hajime, tell her not to do the ghost one!” Souda whisper-shouted from where he was still huddled behind Kuzuryuu. “Ghost of Jabberwock.... There’s no way this island is haunted, right?” 

“Well, maybe if you listened to the story, you’d know!” Owari said with a roll of her eyes. 

“Now that I think about it, I heard some weird noises when I was cooking late the other day,” Hanamura offered up. “Perhaps it was this ghost Mioda was going to inform you of?” 

“It’s probably waiting for some ugly pink haired weirdo to walk by so it can snatch him up and eat him!” Saionji sneered. 

“H-hey! Cut it out, guys, I’m not gonna fall for that!” Souda said, but despite his words he was beginning to shake once again. 

“Be nice,” Koizumi scolded Saionji, who pouted with a whine but obeyed nonetheless. She crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. 

“If there are any ghosts here, I’ll kick their ass, so don’t worry,” Kuzuryuu said firmly. 

“Awww, see? Fuyuhiko will be your knight in shining armor!” Mioda clapped her hands together, bouncing lightly from where she sat on Pekoyama, who cleared her throat. 

“I think the story with the bunnies sounds nice,” she said. Apparently, with those words, it was decided, and Hinata was no longer needed to make the final decision. 

“Before you guys begin, I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in fireworks?” Sonia perked up, taking in the faces that suddenly lit up from around the fire. “I honestly forgot until just now, but there’s some on the fifth island, and they’re not too extravagant that it would catch any attention from off the island.” 

“Oooooh, that sounds super duper cool!” Mioda cheered. There were nods and words of agreement from all around. 

“Alrightie then,” Sonia said confidently. “Hinata, you come with me to get them.” 

He looked up in surprise, but Sonia shot him a wink when he wasn’t looking. He decided to just comply with whatever it was she was planning. 

“Alright, we’ll be back in a bit,” he said, getting up to follow her away from the beach. He received a couple of waves goodbye in return, but Mioda seemed eager to get everyone’s attention back to her and begin her story. 

“So, am I actually coming to get fireworks with you?” He asked once they were back on the island’s main path. 

Sonia giggled. “Nope, that was just a diversion. I’m getting the fireworks. You’re going to go keep Komaeda company.” 

“What?” Hinata furrowed his eyebrows. “But the bonfire isn’t even over." 

“You stayed for a couple hours, but Komaeda is still all alone back at the hotel.” 

“And what happens when I don’t arrive back to the beach with you?” Hinata asked, not liking how tempting this idea sounded. He didn’t like that Komaeda was left all alone while everyone else hung out, and had been thinking about it periodically during the bonfire. 

_“I’ll tell them that you were tired after the walk to the fifth island and decided to rest at home,” she said. She saw the hesitation on Hinata’s face and sighed. “Komaeda is all alone...and it’s night, and there’s going to be _fireworks._ ” _

__

Hinata didn’t understand what she was getting at. “So?” 

__

“It’s awfully romantic, isn’t it?” 

__

“R-romantic?” 

__

Sonia clasped her hands together, sparkles lighting up in her eyes as she spoke. “Oh, how it reminds me of old stories I was told as a kid. The fireworks are going off; one person looks admiringly at their beloved, while the other is none-the-wiser because they're watching the sky. They both comment on how beautiful the scene is, but one of them is truly talking about the other.” 

__

Hinata could feel his face heating up. “What the hell? This isn’t some romance novel. Him and I will probably just play cards or something.” 

__

She giggled yet again, this time at his defensiveness. “Whatever you say, Hinata,” but she didn’t sound convinced. “Now go, don’t let him spend more of this beautiful night alone.” 

__

He was going to argue against it, insist on at least walking with her to the fifth island, but she had clearly made up her mind, and she was already walking away from Hinata with confidence. He took a deep breath, turning around to go in the opposite direction to the hotel. 

__

__

When he first arrived back, he took a peek into his cabin and saw that nobody was there. The lights were off in Komaeda’s room, too, so he didn’t even bother to check in it. He thought he should change into a comfortable set of clothes, noting that there wasn’t too much sand on him and he’d probably be fine if he put off showering until the morning, since he’d already showered a few hours ago after working with Souda. 

__

He consciously put more effort into the way he looked than usual. He felt like his hair was too messy, getting too long. He still needed to ask Koizumi for that haircut. It stuck up no matter how much he tried to flatten it, but in retrospect it was no different from how he usually looked. He pulled on at least three different shirts before deciding on one that was comfortable while also not being too baggy, wrinkled, or any other way that made him look homely. The sweatpants were easy enough, because the first black pair that he threw on looked fine enough. 

__

Why was it that he cared so much again? 

__

He shook his head at himself in the bathroom mirror, splashing water on his face and towel drying it to get off any dirt he’d picked up while at the bonfire. At this point, Hinata could tell that he was stalling. But then a voice in the back of his head reminded him that the longer he stalled, the longer Komaeda was just sitting alone, and the less time Hinata would have to be with him alone before everyone else came back from the beach. 

__

Resolutely, he turned off his bathroom light (not before taking one last lingering look at himself in the mirror), and headed out of his room, the cool air hitting his slightly damp face immediately. He reached back in to grab another jacket, positive that Komaeda was probably just wearing his usual green hoodie, wherever he was. 

__

Spotting the man was easy enough. He was resting by the pool area on a chair, curled up and book in his lap. A portable electric lantern sat next to him on a table so that he could read in the dark of night. He looked so peaceful that Hinata almost didn’t want to disturb the scene, but it was only seconds before Komaeda caught wind of his approach. 

__

“Hinata-kun?” He asked. Hinata stepped closer to the other, the lantern illuminating his features. “Are the others with you?” 

__

“They’re still at the fire,” he explained. “I, uh...got tired, and decided to come back to the hotel.” 

__

He was standing awkwardly at the entrance to the pool, not much around to illuminate the area besides Komaeda’s lanterns and some lights on from the restaurant, but they were a little distance away from where he stood. There was a light cloak of leaves covering the top of the pool and spread about the surrounding pavement. One even seemed to have fallen and caught itself in Komaeda’s hair. 

__

“You should probably go to sleep then,” Komaeda said, tilting his head slightly while he spoke. Hinata watched as the leaf untangled from his hair and floated gracefully onto the floor to join the thousands of others that littered the area. “Do you need me to come with you?” 

__

Hinata blushed, hiding it with a shake of his head. “No, I just needed a break from all those people.” 

__

“Well, then you surely don’t want to be around me.” 

__

“I do,” he said. Before Komaeda could respond, he asked, “Can I sit?” 

__

He seemed only slightly taken aback by this point, since Hinata was so often trying to spend time with him instead of other people on the island. “Of course, I’m always honored to spend time with Hinata-kun.” 

__

He pulled over another chair around the area, wincing as it scraped against the pavement until he moved it parallel with the occupied chair, a little bit too close together but if Komaeda wasn’t going to comment on it, neither would he. He took the seat a moment later. 

__

“Did you have fun at the bonfire?” Komaeda asked conversationally. He doggy-eared the book that he was holding and set it aside, a sign that he was now invested in his conversation with Hinata. 

__

“It was nice,” he said honestly. “Did you know that Mioda and Pekoyama are together?” 

__

“Of course, it’s quite obvious if you’re paying attention,” he replied. Damn, Hinata had to be really out of the loop if even Komaeda knew before him. 

__

Hinata laughed awkwardly. “Oh well, just asking since they looked so cute together on the beach. I hope Koizumi took a photo.” 

__

“I wish I could have gone,” Komaeda mused. “Such a silly thing to be afraid of…” 

__

“What, the fire?” Hinata asked. “That’s actually pretty normal. Don’t beat yourself up over it.” 

__

Komaeda, unsurprisingly, wasn’t too comforted by those words. He chewed on his bottom lip absentmindedly, choosing not to say a word. He did that often when he was trying not to insult himself, so Hinata decided not to pry. 

__

After almost a minute, he finally broke the silence that had come to rest between them. “Are you sure you’re warm enough in just that jacket? It’s pretty chilly out here.” 

__

“This jacket is warmer than it looks.” 

__

“You literally wear it during the middle of summer,” Hinata deadpanned. 

__

Komaeda shrugged. “I like the heat,” but Hinata couldn’t ignore the shiver that went through the other’s body. He looked like his teeth were close to chattering. Did he seriously just not understand how cold he actually was? 

__

Sighing, Hinata grabbed the extra jacket and draped it over the other’s shoulders, making sure not to get Komaeda’s freshly dyed hair in the zipper as he did so. It was a little awkward from the angle that he was sitting at, but he eventually managed it to work. 

__

“There you go,” he said. “Is that better?” 

__

Komaeda grabbed the inside of the coat and pulled it so that it wrapped tighter around him. “There goes Hinata-kun, always having to help everyone around him.” 

__

“You could say I have a talent for it,” Hinata joked in reply. Komaeda just smiled lightly, practically buried underneath the large article of clothing. “We should go inside, before you get sick.” 

__

“Ah, yes, I do quite hate to be sick.” 

__

“Then stop setting yourself up for it,” Hinata scolded, but the tone of his voice was too playful for Komaeda to take it as anything else. “I’m a little hungry. I’ll grab us some snacks and we meet back at the room?” 

__

Komaeda only hesitated for a second before nodding. Hinata instinctively ruffled his hair, earning himself a confused look that made a pang in his heart. The cold made his cheeks and his ears red, and he looked a little tired. Hinata turned on his heel, casting back a wave before heading towards the restaurant at a brisk pace. 

__

When he got there, he turned back just in time to see Komaeda disappear into the cottage area. 

__

__

He arrived back at his room in what couldn’t be more than twenty minutes later, a bag of chips in one hand and a steaming hot mug in the other. His door was unlocked, so he knocked out of politeness before creaking it open. 

__

“Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said as a way of greeting. He was curled up in Hinata’s bed, the blanket around himself in a similar fashion that the coat had been outside. It was draped over his shoulders and pooled around his knees. Said coat was hanging on the back of the chair next to the desk, so Hinata put his stuff down before moving to hang it up in the closet. 

__

A singular lamp was on in the room, leaving the lights dim but still light enough that anyone could see once their eyes adjusted. 

__

“I got this for you,” Hinata said once the coat was hung up. “A thank you for the coffee you brought me this morning. I know you’re not the biggest fan of sweet stuff, but…” 

__

Komaeda looked at Hinata’s hands, which were grasping the mug that he was now offering. “Ah, that’s quite alright, you should keep it for yourself.” 

__

“I mean, I don’t really want it,” Hinata said honestly. “It’s just hot chocolate, nothing fancy. Are you sure you don’t want it?” 

__

Komaeda complied and took the mug, bringing it to his lips gently to avoid burning his tongue. After taking a sip, he held it up to his cheek, seemingly trying to bring warmth to it. “Thank you, Hinata-kun.” 

__

“Were you outside the whole time?” he asked, earning a nod in return. “No wonder you were freezing.” 

__

Komaeda shrugged. “I’ve slept in colder temperatures.” 

__

It wasn’t even surprising, but that didn’t make it pleasant by any means. “Well, no more of that. As much as Tsumiki would love to have a new patient, let’s try to avoid it by all means.” 

__

“She does go a bit overboard with the shots…” Komaeda trailed off, taking another gulp of his drink. “You know, sweet things are alright every once in a while.”<

__

“Yea, well, that was the goal. I thought you could use something to warm you up, too.” 

__

“Hinata-kun is so kind,” he said, settling back onto the bed more comfortably as he drank. 

__

Hinata took this moment to sit relatively across from him, further down on the sheets. He was beginning to feel a little cold himself, not even able to escape the chilly air inside, but he couldn’t bring himself to disrupt Komaeda’s cozy state. 

__

Despite that, the other easily picked up once Hinata started shivering. He scooted over so that there was more room next to him and pulled a majority of the blanket over, gesturing for Hinata to sit. 

__

“You’d think they would’ve made Izuru immune to the cold,” he said grumpily, not even having the energy to deny Komaeda’s gesture. He crawled up next to him, the blanket now wrapped around the pair of them. 

__

Before Komaeda could respond, a loud crack sounded from outside. Both of them visibly jumped in surprise. Hinata was momentarily confused before he remembered where Sonia had gone just before he’d come back to the hotel 

__

“Fireworks,” Komaeda observed, nodding his head to somewhere behind Hinata. It turned out he was referencing the window that was on the wall against his bed. Hinata saw nothing at first when he glanced where Komaeda had directed, but after some more loud popping noises (which progressively startled him less over time), he could see the flares of color fill up the sky from where he sat on his bed. 

__

“I’m kind of glad I’m not all the way down at the beach. That noise was scary enough from over here,” Hinata commented. 

__

“At least we would’ve had a warning if we were there.” 

__

Hinata could imagine Souda still cowering behind Kuzuryuu back at the beach, startled by the sound even with a warning in place. The others were probably gathered and making sounds of awe as they watched the scene. Mioda’s eyes were probably sparkling, Nidai was probably making loud jokes, and Tanaka was probably commenting about how the fire shows in hell are much more magnificent. 

__

Part of him was sad that he wasn’t with his friends to experience the sight with them, but the other probably bigger and definitely more selfish part of himself was glad for how things turned out. Instead of being out, he was alone with Komaeda, warming up under a blanket with him, in a much more peaceful state than he would be otherwise. The air was comfortable, and he could feel the warmth coming off of Komaeda from beside him, only adding to that comfort. Plus, this way no one was alone, although he can’t even pretend that that was his main motive for being there. 

__

Hinata kept his focus on the sky, placing one of his hands against the windowsill for better balance. Each time they went off, the room was lit up just a bit by the bright lights. They were red, and then purple, blue, red again. Eventually, multiple began going off at once. 

__

“They’re so pretty,” Hinata commented, his eyes practically glued to the window. It had been years since he’d seen proper fireworks, not since he was in middle school most likely, at least that he could remember. 

__

“Very pretty,” Komaeda said from beside him, his voice low and almost a hum. 

__

Instinctively, Hinata tore his eyes from the scene outside to glance at the man beside him, but Komaeda wasn’t looking out the window anymore. In fact, it appeared like he hadn’t been for a while. 

__

Komaeda was looking at _him._

__

He suddenly laughed a bit nervously, like he’d been caught doing something that he wasn’t supposed to be doing. It made Hinata’s head turn inside out wondering if he should take this situation the way his mind was running with it. Moments later, they continued to maintain eye contact. It was almost like both of them wanted to look away, but they just couldn’t bring themselves to do it. Hinata removed his hand from the windowsill and pressed his palm into the mattress, leaning forward so that he was closer to Komaeda, just slightly above him. 

__

From underneath his eyelashes, Komaeda’s eyes were filled with curiosity and some other emotions that Hinata couldn’t quite pin at the moment. Or, rather, he could have, but he wasn’t sure if he could handle the analysis that would come out of it. 

__

Komaeda matched his movements when Hinata leaned in, almost as if it was instinctive. They were much closer to each other. Hinata heard a small _clank_. He didn’t spare a moment, but saw out of the corner of his eyes that Komaeda had practically tossed his mug of hot chocolate onto the bedside table, drops of the drink splashing over the edge and trailing down the side. The man himself was leaned back, allowing Hinata all the space in his personal bubble that he could possibly ask for. 

__

“Is this...alright with you?” Hinata asked. He scooted his knee up so that he could be closer to Komaeda still, the other’s breath now tickling his chin. 

__

“Anything’s okay when I’m with Hinata-kun,” he said. “But you might want to be careful. It almost seems as if you’re trying to seduce me.” 

__

His voice was low, sultry without intention, and Hinata found himself gulping, the noise surely heard due to their proximity. 

__

“And if I am?” He asked, throwing all his caution to the wind. 

__

Komaeda seemed stunned into silence at that. But not for long. He quickly cleared his throat, avoiding Hinata’s eyes when he spoke. “I, uh, wouldn’t ever be opposed to something like that, not that I ever expect it to happen-” 

__

Something about the sincerity in his tone hit Hinata hard. He leaned in until their faces were no more than an inch apart, searching for Komaeda’s eyes, which finally rested back on him a moment later. The look from Hinata’s own expression was a question, unspoken between them but obvious in its nature. Komaeda simply pushed himself even closer, too afraid to take the final step, but the slight whine that escaped his lips when Hinata didn’t take his hint drove him over the edge. 

__

Hinata closed the remaining gap between them, pressing his lips fully and firmly against Komaeda’s own. Butterflies that had been building up at the sight of Komaeda for weeks erupted in his stomach, the feeling almost pleasant in a way he couldn’t describe. His head was buzzing, his hands moving of their own accord when they moved to gently grasp at cotton candy hair. In the back of his head, he wondered if the fireworks were still going, but he wasn’t able to tell either way, his mind quickly pulled far away from any thoughts that weren’t _komaeda komaeda komaeda._

__

Komaeda seemed to get over his shock of the situation quickly. He pushed back against Hinata fervently, yanking on the front of his shirt to bring them impossibly closer to each other. Hinata arched his back in response to bring their chests close. He but down lightly on Komaeda’s lip, enjoying the slight sigh he got out of the other. The taste of hot chocolate and saliva was on his lips, but it wasn’t something he could say he didn’t enjoy. 

__

When Hinata moved from Komaeda’s mouth to a spot on his neck below his ear, it was when Komaeda spoke up. 

__

“Hinata-kun, wait!” 

__

He immediately pulled back. Komaeda’s lips were swollen just from those few seconds, and he briefly wondered if his were too. What he was sure of, though, was that their faces had to be equally flushed. 

__

“Yea, are you alright?” 

__

Komaeda gnawed on his lower lip, the sight of it making Hinata miss the feeling of that being his own teeth. He scolded himself to focus on whatever the other was going to say. 

__

“I...should be asking you that,” Komaeda said, still slightly out of breath. 

__

He remembered that Komaeda is a person filled with so much self hatred that it was rather overwhelming, despite the improvements to his self esteem in recent weeks. 

__

“I’m quite great, waiting for when we get to do that again,” Hinata said, not quite believing the words that were coming out of his mouth. Perhaps it was the desperate virgin in him, but something about Komaeda made him want to say anything that came to his mind. “Of course, only if you want t-” 

__

“But why do _you want to?”_

__

Komaeda’s voice was edging on suspicion, dragging Hinata out of his foggy head and more into reality. “What?” 

__

“Is it because I’m the easiest person on this island? Or because you know I won’t out you to everyone?” 

__

“ _What?_ ” he repeated with more emphasis. “Komaeda-” 

__

“Because I can’t think of any other reason. At first I just thought I should let it happen, because I’ve wanted it for so long, but-” he paused, and Hinata’s head ran in overdrive with the information. “If you just want to use me for physical gratification, so be it, but I need to know first.” 

__

Komaeda looked like he was pained to even bring it up, but as much as it hurt Hinata, he was glad that he did. He never would’ve had the courage to say the things he did next otherwise. 

__

“Can I speak?” he asked, earning a hesitant nod from Komaeda in return. 

__

“Be my guest.” 

__

He stopped talking after those words, seemingly waiting for the final blow, where he would hear Hinata say that he was nothing but a warm body, or an easy way to experiment. But obviously, Hinata said none of those things. 

__

“Komaeda, I…” he trailed off, taking a deep breath and looking out the window to gather his words. The fireworks stopped, though he was not quite sure when. “I didn’t...do that because of-” 

__

“Do what? Kiss me?” Komaeda bluntly interrupted. At the look on Hinata’s face, he added, “Ah, just continue.” 

__

“I didn’t _kiss_ you because of any of those things you said,” Hinata explained. “Not because you’re easy, or because I needed to experiment, or anything cruel like that. I just, _shit_ , Komaeda this isn’t easy for me either.”

__

“What isn't easy?” Komaeda looked thoroughly unimpressed for the moment.

__

“Liking you,” Hinata blurted out, his eyes now on his lap. “ _Fuck_ , i dunno, falling in love with you...because _I am._ ”

__

Komaeda blinked. Once. Twice. His emotions seemed blank, but moments later he let out a small chuckle. He ended up laughing for at least ten seconds, all the while Hinata looked at him with what must have been the look of a kicked puppy. 

__

Upon seeing the look on his face, Komaeda’s joking smile slowly dwindled. “You...want me to believe you’re serious.”

__

“Because I am serious,” Hinata stated, his face as serious as he could muster. Komaeda went back to staring at him, so he continued. “I...this _connection_ that I feel to you, it’s not just physical. It’s not platonic either, even though I spent so long believing that it was.”

__

“You’re confused. You’re stuck on this island and confused about your sexuality.”

__

“Even if the world was suddenly put back together and I could have anyone I wanted, I would still choose you,” Hinata said firmly. Komaeda promptly shut his mouth. “I’ve never felt this way, and putting out the way i feel is _really fucking scary_ , but I know that it’s the only way I can convince you that I mean it.”

__

Komaeda’s features began to soften around the edges. It was slight, but Hinata picked up on it immediately. It urged him to keep going.

__

“When I’m around you, I feel safe. And maybe that’s stupid considering our past, but you’re the one thing on this island that makes me _feel_ again, something I’ve lost so much of since Izuru.”

__

He reached out. Komaeda looked down at his hand, only showing slight reluctance before he gave his own over to Hinata.

__

Pushing down his own embarrassment, he pressed Komaeda’s hand up to his chest. Komaeda just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

__

“It’s beating quickly,” he observed. 

__

“That’s for you,” Hinata replied, determined to look confident despite his continuously reddening face. He couldn’t see it himself, but Komaeda surely could, and he himself could feel how heated he was. “I...understand if this is too much for you to handle, but I really, really like you.”

__

Komaeda echoed, “Too much for me to handle.” He let out a small laugh after, as if the idea was ridiculous. Hinata continued to hold Komaeda’s hand when the other said, “Kiss me again.”

__

Hinata searched for any hesitation in the other’s eyes. “A-are you sure?” He asked. “Because if you still don’t believe me, I-”

__

Komaeda leaned forward and captured his lips before he could even finish his sentence. It caught him off guard, his eyes widening, but soon enough he fell back into the rhythm of it just like before. Komaeda crawled back over to him, this time practically on top of Hinata’s lap, causing him to have to look up to deepen the kiss.

__

It was slightly slower than before, but filled with just as much passion. By now, both the chips and the unfinished hot chocolate were completely forgotten in their respective places, and Hinata would probably have to return them to the restaurant later. Of course, none of those things were on his mind at that moment. He was too focused on the way that Komaeda’s thighs pressed against his own on either side, how his hands felt when they were grasping Hinata’s jaw, running down his neck and chest, creeping up the bottom of his shirt just slightly.

__

Komaeda seemed less out of breath than him when they briefly broke apart. “Never thought I’d have to be the one to tell you to stop talking,” he said. Hinata smiled, his eyes still shut, Komaeda’s nose brushing up his cheek once or twice as he spoke.

__

Instead of replying, he initiated another kiss, which turned into another. After that, Hinata lost track of not only every time they kissed, but he also lost track of time.

__

All he knew is that he didn’t want his friends coming back from the beach anytime soon.

__

__

It was almost a week when everything came to light.

__

Hinata walked into the restaurant like normal. Hanamura made pancakes, and he could even smell them from outside as he approached. Mostly everyone was already eating, and was about to go and fill up his own plate when he was stopped.

__

“Woah woah woah,” Kuzuryuu put a hand on his chest to halt his movements, earning a confused look from Hinata.

__

“Kuzuryuu?”

__

“You got mauled by a coyote last night or somethin?” he asked, but the sides of his mouth were quirked upwards at the side. It only took him a moment to realize, but by then he was already being inspected by others.

__

“Oh wow, Hinata, that is an awfully dark hickey you got there,” Sonia commented, looking like she was holding back a laugh.

__

“Who says it’s a hickey?” He countered, knowing damn well that it was a lost cause. Everyone ignored him, unsurprisingly.

__

Owari asked, “So, who’s the lucky lady?”

__

“A-about that-” Hinata stammered.

__

“I have some concealer I can get you from our room!” Komaeda piped up, looking over the book that he was reading at the table.

__

“ _Our_ room?” Kuzuryuu quoted, suddenly looking back and forth between the two men in question.

__

Souda whistled before throwing in his own chuckle. “Komaeda is quite the leech, ain’t he?”

__

“ _You knew_!?” Kuzuryuu asked, looking only a little betrayed.

__

“Komaeda!?” Owari shouted at pretty much the same time as Kuzuryuu, just then catching on. She then put a finger to her lips. “Hmmm, now that I think about it, that does make sense…”

__

“Sorry, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said, flattening back into his seat, practically hiding behind his book.

__

It’s not like I was hiding it or anything,” Hinata explained. “It’s just new, is all.”

__

“Damn well you weren’t, the way you guys constantly sneak into each other’s cottages,” Saionji said with a roll of her eyes. “Seriously, did the rest of you peabrains not notice that? It’s been going on for weeks!”

__

“More like a month or two,” Komaeda offered up, only further proving her point.

__

“Damn, guess I wasn’t paying enough attention,” Kuzuryuu said.

__

“Yea, you were too busy with your boy toy Kazuichi over there,” Saionji sneered.

__

“What!?” Souda turned on his heel to face her and away from Hinata. “I am not a toy! I am a human being, and you will respect that!”

__

Everyone actively chose to ignore the scene that was unfolding, turning their attention back to Hinata, who was pulling up his collar in an attempt to cover the marks that Komaeda had made the night before. It was useless at that point, but at least he could pretend he was saving his pride.

__

“Are Hajime and Nagito really together?” Mioda jumped up and down. “Really really?”

__

“He’s...my boyfriend, yes,” Hinata said, embarrassed yet relieved to get the words out in the open.

__

Pekoyama sent him a slight smile. “Congratulations.”

__

Nidai hit Hinata on his shoulder so hard it might have left a bruise. “HA!” he bellowed. “Now THAT’S MY BOY!”

__

“Yea, you guys are kinda cute,” Koizumi mused. “A little weird, and certainly surprising, but still cute.”

__

“You deserve it after all you’ve done for us,” Owari said warmly. Hinata couldn’t help but to smile at her words. “Though I must admit, I thought you were the straight friend.”

__

“The...straight friend?” Hinata asked, not quite sure what she was getting at. “Well, definitely not me for sure.”

__

“I bet it’s mikan…” Saionji mumbled.

__

“N-No, I like women too,” Tsumiki defended timidly. If he hadn’t already known that detail about her, he would’ve thought she was just saying it to get Saionji’s approval.

__

“Do not let my label as ‘breeder’ confuse you,” Tanaka added.

__

“Aren’t I the straight friend?” Souda asked, crossing his arms. Nobody said anything. Hinata was pretty sure that nobody wanted to break it to him.

__

“Weeeeell,” Mioda said enthusiastically, her voice a sing-song tone. “I just want Hajime to know-” She pointed her finger directly at him, “-that if he hurts Nagito, he’ll have me to deal with.”

__

“That’s quite alright, Mioda-san,” Komaeda insisted from where he sat. “Even if Hinata was cruel to me, it would be quite invited.”

__

“Don’t say shit like that,” Hinata scolded, but he kept his tone light-hearted. “Anyways, am I done being interrogated? I would like to get my breakfast.”

__

“Jeez, grumpy pants, _someone_ must’ve been kept up all night.”

__

“Hey!” Hinata said as an instinctive response to Koizumi. He found himself blushing, too, despite how much he’d been trying to hold it back since he entered the restaurant.

__

“Here, Hinata-kun, I filled you up a plate!” Komaeda called, gesturing to the seat next to him.

__

“Awww, he even saved you a seat!” Mioda cooed. Sadly, Hinata knew that comments like these were not likely to die down anytime soon.

__

Almost immediately after Hinata sat down and began picking at his food, Komaeda said, “Don’t worry, Hinata-kun. I can make them lower next time.”

__

“Do you want me to choke up my pancakes?” he whispered, but it didn’t really matter. Everyone had already heard Komaeda’s part of the conversation.

__

“I don’t know. It sounds like it would be quite entertaining,” Komaeda teased.

__

“I hate you.”

__

“Really? Because last I heard, you’re ‘falling in love’ with me.” He grinned a way that was almost sly, like a smirk. 

__

“And you’re damn lucky I am,” Hinata said.

__

He’d tried to be quiet, but it was clear as day that everyone around had heard every word. Mioda was continuing to coo like before, but she wasn't the only one. There was a chorus of ‘awwww!’s following Komaeda’s words.

__

“They do call me the ultimate lucky student.”

__

Hinata rolled his eyes, bringing his attention back to his pancakes and notably avoiding everyone else’s eye contact.

__

Under the table, he could feel Komaeda’s hand rubbing his thigh. He ran his fingertips up and down over Hinata’s pants, seemingly mindlessly, and would sometimes just stop to rest at the top of his thigh. The touch was comforting, and it calmed Hinata’s anxieties over his friends finding out. They all accepted him. They all accepted _Komaeda._

__

Feeling a surge of confidence, Hinata leaned over and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. Komaeda turned to him immediately, the two of them almost bumping noses from their closeness. They met eyes for a moment, and Hinata was easily able to drown out the noises of his friends reacting around him. Komaeda had this expression on his face that made Hinata want to kiss him again, but he held himself back.

__

They had plenty of time for that in the future. _Their_ future.

__

__

End.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and...yea...its over.
> 
> This story is seriously my baby, and the huge amount of support I've gotten on it has not only been unexpected, but so amazing. My confidence as a writer has gone up so much and I'm just so glad I could create this story for so many people to enjoy. There are a couple things I want to kind of touch up, but tbh I'm not sure when or if I'll have time for it, so...yea.
> 
> I hope the ending wasn't underwhelming. I kind of rushed to finish it before this week because I have a ton of assignments and I have to study for my finals which will take up all my time. I didn't even edit it, so...maybe another time. For now, i am done. Either way, this story is still something I'm proud of and I want to thank everyone reading ONCE AGAIN for taking time our of your life to read my story. it means. so much. truly.
> 
> One last note: I'm a bit hesitant to drop my twt (lowkey hiding from my friends) but if anyone drops their own and wants to talk about komahina or something I might shoot you a dm...i need kh friends forreal.
> 
> And with that, I'll see y'all when I post something else<333


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